Good governance is rather like eating All Bran straight from the box – we all know it’s supposed to be good for us, but it’s never a particularly appetising prospect. That’s particularly true when the ‘rubber’ of board accountability hits the ‘road’ of a chief executive’s right to manage.

My experience, both as a chief executive and a charity trustee, is that when everything is going well and the figures look good, no-one really thinks about good governance. Stuff just happens and the CEO is left to get on with it. No-one worries about accountabilities. Ironically, I can find myself hankering after those times even though I know that’s not how things are supposed to be run. To continue the metaphor, it’s a bit like pigging out on Rocky Road ice-cream in front of the TV – we know it’s not good for us, but it makes us feel better. Read more »