Emma Coombe

I'd love your perspective on how CEOs can manage disagreements constructively and without damaging that trust that's been carefully built up.

It's amazing how often it does come down to communication, Rusty, and being really specific about why conflict has arisen in order to dissolve it.

Of course, it's not easy, but it's the first step in getting realigned.

And there's a lot at stake here, isn't there?

Because how a CEO handles this first moment of tension can really set the stage for the long-term relationship.

In my experience, what I found is that if the chair and CEO have a really close relationship, that can be hugely beneficial.

Because actually, if the CEO needs to push through an agenda that maybe is a bit brave, courageous, risk taking, a chair can carry the non-executives with them by really leading that board effectively.

So the chair-CEO relationship is particularly critical in my experience.

And Ty, I'd like to turn back to you now.

We've spoken about how you can get off to a great start with your board, but how can you best evolve this relationship over time?

I completely agree, Tai, but I think it can be quite difficult to implement practically.

So much changes in that first year that recontracting is critical, and unless you pause to realign, small gaps can widen into misunderstandings.

Anita, how do you see the relationship evolve over time?

Absolutely.

And the shift has to be deliberate.

And as in so many cases, crisis can be a real accelerant.

It can be really bonding for all of the board members or indeed really revealing about maybe some that are underperformers that aren't contributing adequately.

And in those moments, the CEO chair relationship either compresses into absolute trust or fractures.

There's not really any middle ground.

So we're almost at the end of our time together in the lounge.