Andrew Kakabadse

Professor Andrew Kakabadse (1948-2025) was an internationally renowned expert on boards, top team management and leadership. A professor of governance and strategic leadership at Henley Business School, he had worked on a major global study of boardroom effectiveness and governance practice. He also served as director for The Board Directors’ Programme and chair of the Henley Directors’ Forum. Andrew was a lynchpin figure in UK and global corporate governance. He published more than 270 scholarly articles and 48 books, with his bestsellers including The Politics of Management, Working in Organisations, The Success Formula and Leadership Intelligence: the 5 Qs.

Latest Articles by Andrew Kakabadse

27 April, 2026
The chair’s influence isn’t universal
How much sway does the chair of a board really have? Much depends on their institutional and geographical context.
30 March, 2026
8 reasons that boards fail
The warning signs are rarely dramatic. More often, they are familiar, human and can be found hiding in plain sight.
16 February, 2026
Are you ready for a ‘black swan’ event?
Black swan events—unforeseen but monumentally impactful incidents—demand from boards actionable strategies and organisational resilience.
9 February, 2026
Transformation begins with board mindset
Boards cannot lead meaningful change without being prepared to examine and adjust how they think, according to new research.
16 January, 2026
How to lead with courage
Courage in leaders is rarely heroic. More often it shows up in mundane but pivotal moments of choosing the difficult truth over an easy path.
21 November, 2025
How silence shapes board decisions
For boards, the dilemma and value of the dissenting voice is not about individual courage to speak up—it’s a matter of culture.
3 October, 2025
Why balanced boards are smarter
Gender affects style of leadership and, to reap the benefits, the chair must not be a referee, but an orchestrator of difference.
10 September, 2025
Boardroom dissent: the hidden catalyst of high-performing boards
When directors challenge proposals, question strategies or raise uncomfortable truths, they’re strengthening the board’s effectiveness.
28 July, 2025
Stewarding AI: governance needs to catch up
Artificial intelligence is transforming not only technology and how people do their jobs, but also reshaping leadership thinking.
10 June, 2025
5 essential tenets for coping with global disruption
With global geopolitical tensions on an unprecedented scale, disrupting markets and data, how can governance oversight function?