Unlocking Board Potential: A Copenhagen Blueprint for Inspiration, Growth, and Diverse Perspectives
A research trip to Copenhagen aims to enrich upcoming meetings for a variety of external boards of directors (not my ordinary assignements, in this case upcoming new clients), thereby broadening their perspective. Many boards rigidly follow a set agenda, a practice I find insufficient and shall be action based. I believe that board activities and business development initiatives are crucial for increasing shareholder value. The role of a board of directors is not just a ceremonial title; it’s a mission to help the company scale and adopt a broader view.
I am exploring Copenhagen to identify a mix of board workshops, cultural experiences, and themed restaurant visits. These elements will be woven into upcoming new clients – the board’s developmental agenda, focusing on themes and subjects designed to inspire growth.
This post also highlights the importance of personality. Each board is teeming with unique personalities that contribute to its DNA and, in turn, influence the company’s character. How can we draw inspiration from external standout personalities? Moreover, how can we learn from their successes, even if those have been achieved in other sectors of society?
–This time, the path led me to the Labour Museum in Copenhagen, where I saw a wall poster featuring none other than Anker Jörgensen (Danish politician who served at various times as Prime Minister). The museum’s basement houses the classic Smørrebrød restaurant Café & Ølhalle “1892,” (a comimg destination on my board trips and workshops) complete with workers’ beer—a darker classic lager that exudes natural personality, much like Anker himself. Exemplified by Ankers refusal to move into the official Prime Minister residence Marienborg, preferring to stay with his wife in their small apartment in a working class area of Copenhagen.