For NED’s Playing the Long Game
Part 3 in the “From the Touchline” series – For NED’s playing the long game
The real value of a NED isn’t measured in meetings. It’s earned in what happens between them.
When you’re leading from the touchline, your influence isn’t in the frequency of your involvement, it’s in the quality of your perspective, the consistency of your judgement, and the quiet confidence that you’re focused on the long game.
Some of the best NEDs I’ve worked alongside are often the least visible day to day. But they’re the ones who:
- Ask the sharpest questions
- Notice the patterns others miss
- Stay steady when things wobble
- And bring the clearest sense of what matters most
They don’t obsess over this quarter’s metrics. They notice the direction of travel. They’re not distracted by noise. They notice where focus is quietly slipping.
Staying Useful, Not Visible
It’s tempting to show up often, to be active, engaged, seen. But visibility isn’t value. Some of the most impactful board members I’ve worked with intervene only when it shifts the conversation. They know that being useful doesn’t always mean being present.
In my own roles, I’ve learnt that the NED who shows up only to ask questions, steady the strategy, or clarify intent, often has the most lasting impact.
It’s about timing. But more than that, it’s about holding the bigger picture while others are pulled into the day-to-day.
Between the Meetings is Where Trust Builds
What you do between board meetings matters more than most realise. A quiet check-in with the Chair. A brief call to the CEO that doesn’t ask for a report, just shows support. A comment on the board pack that clarifies, rather than critiques.
I also know first-hand how much time the executive team puts into preparing board packs. Sometimes too much, if we’re honest. But nothing undermines that effort more than a NED who hasn’t read it. If we want to be taken seriously in the room, the least we can do is respect the time and thinking that’s gone into the preparation.
One thing I often do before a board meeting is let the CEO or relevant exec know if I’m going to ask a potentially difficult question. It’s not about softening the challenge, it’s about giving them a fair shot to think it through. That kind of respect builds maturity in the conversation, and avoids putting people on the defensive when what you’re really after is clarity.
These moments build rhythm. They create trust. And they mean that when you do speak up in the boardroom, it lands.
Trust isn’t just about staying in your lane. It’s about demonstrating that you’re tracking the mission, not just waiting for the meeting.
Long-Term Thinking in a Short-Term World
The pressure to deliver fast results is everywhere. Especially in PE-backed businesses, where pace and returns are naturally under the spotlight.
But the best NEDs understand that pace without perspective is just noise. They’re not anti-results, they’re pro-sustainability.
They back the team, but challenge when the tempo becomes reactive. They hold the mission steady when the winds change. And when the data tells one story, but the people tell another, they pay attention to both.
What Playing the Long Game Actually Looks Like
It’s not about being passive. And it’s not about holding back. It’s about:
- Asking what this quarter’s move means for next year’s direction
- Being the person in the room who hasn’t forgotten what was agreed last year
- Catching the subtle signs that pace is hiding problems
- Encouraging the CEO without protecting them from reality
It’s about consistency, curiosity and courage to challenge gently but firmly when the business is being pulled off-course.
Why This Matters
Short-term leadership is loud. Long-term leadership is rarely recognised until the results show up.
But if you’re in a non-exec or investor role, this is the game you’re in. You’re not there to win the week. You’re there to keep the direction clear, the mission alive, and the focus strong enough to outlast the noise.
And that doesn’t come from speaking often. It comes from seeing further.
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