Spencer Stuart Introduces THE DYNAMIC BOARD ADVANTAGE

High-trust boards move faster and drive stronger business performance

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- New global research from leadership advisory firm Spencer Stuart finds that trust between boards and CEOs sharply distinguishes the most dynamic, adaptable boards from the least effective, and finds a strong correlation with business performance.

• 90% of Pacesetter boards report high trust among the chair, board and CEO—versus 24% of Static boards
• Nearly 9 in 10 Pacesetter CEOs say their board makes them more effective—versus 15% of Static-board CEOs
• Pacesetter directors are 60% more likely to report meeting or exceeding company growth goals
• Future-focused boards engage more on AI, cybersecurity and geopolitics

Spencer Stuart surveyed more than 1,400 board chairs, directors and CEOs globally, examining how boards operate, how they work with CEOs and executive teams, and how effectively they respond to a faster-moving business environment. The research, which further draws on Spencer Stuart's approximately 1,500 annual CEO and Board engagements each year, finds that the most dynamic boards combine high levels of trust and constructive challenge with decisive action, a focus on future risks and opportunities, and a commitment to continuously evolving how they operate.

The research classifies boards into four archetypes based on 16 behaviors, ranging from "Pacesetter" boards, the most dynamic, engaged and future-ready, to "Static" boards, where governance practices have not evolved to match the current operating environment. The differences are significant: 90% of Pacesetter boards report high levels of trust between the chair, board and CEO, compared with just 24% of Static boards.

That stronger relationship is also associated with better outcomes. Nearly nine in ten CEOs with Pacesetter boards say their board makes them more effective, compared with just 15% of CEOs with Static boards, while directors on Pacesetter boards are 60% more likely to report achieving or surpassing company growth goals.

Jordan Brugg, CEO of Spencer Stuart, comments: "Trust is fundamental to an effective relationship between a board and CEO. That does not mean avoiding challenge, quite the opposite. Trust allows difficult issues to be raised early, assumptions to be tested and different perspectives to be heard to shape and inform better decision making. Every board has an opportunity to become more dynamic by strengthening trust, sharpening its focus and creating more space for constructive, forward-looking debate."

Trust translates into a more effective CEO-board partnership

That difference is reflected in CEOs' experience of their boards: nearly nine in ten CEOs with Pacesetter boards say their board makes them more effective, compared with just 15% of CEOs with Static boards. Almost half (49%) of CEOs with Static boards say their board makes them less effective, and the same proportion say it often or always slows them down.

Colin Graham, Global Head of Spencer Stuart's Board & CEO Practice, comments: "A strong board should make the CEO better, not simply provide another layer of oversight. For chairs and directors, the challenge is to create the conditions for open discussion and constructive feedback; for CEOs, it is to engage the board early enough for it to add genuine value. We work with boards to strengthen how they engage, learn and evolve, helping them refresh the expertise and perspectives around the table."

From looking backward to looking ahead

The most dynamic boards also spend more time looking ahead. Pacesetter boards are more likely to devote at least half of meeting time to forward-looking discussion, bring in external perspectives and conduct deeper strategic discussions. They are 20 percentage points more likely than Static boards to have discussed AI, cybersecurity and major regulatory developments, alongside issues including geopolitics and changing markets.

They also move faster: all Pacesetter respondents say their board makes timely decisions without regularly deferring difficult issues, while 100% of Pacesetter CEOs say their board enables rather than impedes decisive action, compared with 40% of Static board CEOs.

Brugg adds: "The pace of business has changed, and boards need to change with it. The strongest boards show that trust, challenge and effective governance are not competing priorities. Together, they create the conditions for boards to look further ahead, make better decisions and add greater value to the business. They also adapt continuously, refresh their thinking and devote more attention to emerging opportunities and risks. In that environment, how a board operates can itself become a source of competitive advantage."

The full report can be found at: https://www.spencerstuart.com/dynamicboards 

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SOURCE Spencer Stuart