The key to success in any organisation is long term, sustainable growth but managing that is harder than ever. Faster moving, more complex risks – and opportunities – require more assiduous monitoring, more informed decision-making, and much greater coordination among all employees to ensure corporate success.

This content series explores the central role board members play in this endeavour and how crucial they are to any organisation’s long term health.

Building a successful organisation across the long term requires senior decision makers to engage with a far broader range of people than they would once have done and to work on a wide range of non traditional and non financial issues. The board has a vital role to play in supporting this work.

No organisation will be a success for any length of time without the right culture. Board members must support the management team in building an organisational culture that provides a framework for everyone to work together to hit corporate goals and do so in line with strong ethical values.

Managing risk has always been a board priority but today, in a world full of volatility, it’s just as important to build resilience into an organisation. It’s vital the organisation can withstand events that no one is quite ready for – and the Board has a key role to play in helping it prepare

The responsibility for an effective board falls on both board members – to provide the traditional guidance to executives while taking on new non-traditional responsibilities, like corporate ethics and compliance – and the company to engage their board in the right way.

There is no more important role for boards than to build an organisation that thrives over the long-term and evolves to make the most of the world around it.