What to Do When Your Board Is Meddling in Operational Work

Harvard Business Review (Mar 5, 2026) by Kathryn Landis and Julie Kratz observes that today's uncertainty — economic instability, AI pressures, intensifying competition — has pushed more directors with CEO and operating backgrounds to wade into management's lane, blurring the governance-management line as private-equity-style monitoring spreads. The remedy: diagnose what is driving the board's overreach, rebuild role clarity with the leadership team, and put simple communication structures in place so the board returns to strategic partner. Especially relevant for founder-led SEA mid-market boards where promoted-from-the-business directors revert to operator instincts.