Since the oneset of Covid corporate boards are facing a different reality. The new environment is characterised by an increasingly complex set of pressures from various stakeholder groups, heightened expectations of societal-engagement corporate citizenship, and radical uncertainly about the future. Never before had the boards needed to balance providing support to the management teams, who were operating in highly stressful conditions, with challenging them to ensure that they make the best decisions throughout the crisis, for which no rule book exists. Such situations have exposed the board's ability to deal with crises displaying its strength or crumbling under pressure. The current pandemic which has challenged busineses like never before has got organisations thinking about the quality of their boards. Today what companies are looking for is to bring independent directors who have dealt with unprecedented situations and who can also challenge conventional thinking. The insights of such directors can help constructively challenges business continuity plans since they can be good advisers as well as sounding boards as management teams craft plans and strategies during the VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity) times. The emerging role of boards in today's dynamically uncertain environment is. Many board put leadership succession on hold during turbulent times, even if it was high on agenda before the crisis hit. Postponing a CEO transition in the midst of a downturn creates is own risks. The best board become unsure how to strike a balance the creation of a safe space characterised by openness and honesty will not only help the board to maintain a close relationship with the CEO but also allows for timely exchanges, feedback, and alignment on strategic actions.
