Lori George

In her personal essay for Fortune, Naomi Osaka shares that, “You don’t always have to do things people expect from you.” A great reminder for us all this Mental Health Awareness Month. fortune.com/2026/05/08/nao…

If formal reporting becomes less frequent, how should companies best communicate with investors?

“Escalation” can sound negative, but it’s actually a key driver of board effectiveness. When issues surface too late, it’s harder to shape outcomes. At its core, it only works with trust, so that problems can be raised early without becoming crises. directorsandboards.com/articles/gover…

The opportunity, to me, is about asking sharper questions: Where is AI actually changing value creation in the business? What assumptions about talent, automation, and growth need to be challenged? And where are we overestimating or underestimating what’s already possible today?

Boards are trying to stay ahead of tech that is still evolving. CEOs are living with the operational consequences of it every day. When those perspectives don’t meet in the middle, the result is conversations that feel aligned at a high level but less effective in practice.

I can't lie: Reading through some BCG's findings stung a little bit. Seeing the misalignment between boards and CEOs called out so clearly is necessary, but a tough pill to swallow: bcg.com/publications/2…

Mother’s Day is a good reminder to pause and reflect on how much mothers and maternal figures shape who we have become. Not just in big moments, but in the small, steady things—presence, patience, and care without needing recognition. Happy Mother's Day!

When those elements aren’t intentionally built into how a board operates, even strong oversight can drift into something that feels more reactive than anticipatory.

3. Do we treat dissent as part of good governance, or as friction to manage?

I've seen a lot of boards look structured on paper but still struggle in practice. In my experience, we can bridge the gap between intent and behavior by asking ourselves these three questions:

We often leave our “first arenas” labeling them as success or failure, but they usually shape something deeper: discipline and resilience. Cast’s story is a reminder that when identity gets tied to outcomes, we miss the value those experiences gave us. insight.kellogg.northwestern.edu/article/buildi…!

A question I keep coming back to: What is it actually like to be led by me? We often overestimate how we show up, but people don’t feel intent; they feel patterns over time. That’s why I’m leaning more into honest, direct feedback from people I trust.

Giving often gets treated as something we’ll get to later. But the leaders making real impact aren’t waiting. They’re clear on what matters, commit to it, and stay close to the work. It’s one of the ways they lead.

The boards that work well think beyond representation. They pay attention to how people are included, how perspectives are heard, and how those perspectives actually shape decisions. That’s what makes the difference. #BoardGovernance

We talk a lot about getting more women into the #boardroom. We don’t always talk about what happens once they’re there. I’ve been in rooms where the seat was filled… but the voice wasn’t really part of the conversation. Over time, that shows up in how decisions get made.

Worth holding onto, especially in moments when the path forward feels overly individual or overly uncertain.

I also think there’s something important in the balance Ursula highlights. Education matters, but so does character. Work ethic matters, but so does community. Courage matters, but so does being willing to ask for help along the way.

Ursula Burns’ words have stayed with me for years now: “Dreams do come true, but not without the help of others, a good education, a strong work ethic, and the courage to lean in.”