article thumbnail

What's Lost When Shareholders Rule

Harvard Business Review

which is by global standards pretty close to the textbook, would-be reformers often cite the British example (on shareholder input into executive pay, for example, or the ease of hostile takeovers) as something to strive toward. Boards Leadership Mergers & Acquisitions' Even in the U.S.,

article thumbnail

An Activist Investor Lands in Your Boardroom — Now What?

Harvard Business Review

More than 200 activist-investor initiatives hit companies in 2013, a seven-fold increase over a decade earlier. Contrary to the adverse experience of some governing boards, activist investors can actually prove to be a leadership asset on the board rather than a disruptive force—providing the boardroom is well-managed and led.