Responsibly led boards of directors make it possible for modern companies to survive and prosper under conditions of change. Despite the importance of boards of directors, their activities are often lionised or vilified by shareholders and stakeholders which obscures how boards enact responsible leadership. Responsible Leadership in Corporate Governance: An Integrative Approach introduces an integrative model of responsible leadership in governance that positions the board as a nexus of all corporate participants. In this model, responsibly led boards seek to make decisions in the best interests of the modern company as an entity that operates in a dynamic business environment. This book provides a timely focus on in-depth cases of board led responsible leadership. Examining boards of directors in listed companies, state-owned enterprises, and private companies, the book connects insights from corporate governance and leadership to behaviours that affect boards' relationships with shareholders and stakeholders. In addition, these insights underscore key requirements and challenges of responsible leadership in governance: from the importance of purpose and the crucial role of value creation to the difficulties of ownership transition and accountability. Far-sighted and experienced-based, this book will not only help students connect to real world situations but also will benefit those that interact with and support boards of directors.

This Element deals with leadership and governance of corporations from the point of view of the board. We expand our understanding of board leadership by focusing on the modern company as a legal person comprised of a capital fund and the relationships among directors, shareholders, management and stakeholders. We propose a model which integrates insights from the fields of leadership and corporate governance and establishes a theoretical link illustrated by empirical findings in three intersections: team leadership on the board, the chair's leadership of the board, and strategic leadership by the board. We maintain this integrative model provides a powerful means to further an understanding of the board as the nexus of leadership and governance. We close this Element by identifying the new research directions that our integrative model opens up. We also identify the implications for practice for those who either serve on boards or provide support to them.