Boards Shift Their Focus to Execution

NACD's 2026 Governance Outlook Survey finds that 60% of directors rank oversight of strategy execution as the top improvement area for their boards—far above any other priority—yet nearly half still lack board-level growth-focused performance metrics tied to management KPIs. The article argues boards must work with management to define organisation-wide KPIs for technology investments, workforce capabilities, and growth initiatives to identify execution barriers before they compound. This is directly actionable for SEA mid-market CEOs building their first formal board operating cadence around strategy tracking and accountability.