One reason you should become a member of the Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda (ICGU) is access to boardrooms, leaders, and top executives of companies. A few years ago, I got an opportunity through the Institute to facilitate a strategy retreat attended by both the board and exco members for a manufacturing firm that had recently expanded into regional markets.
It was supposed to be a “refresh and reset” session. But fifteen minutes in, it became obvious I wasn’t walking into a retreat, I was walking into a war zone. Directors sat in factions. Side-eyes flew like drones. One director pulled me aside during tea break and whispered, “We are not here to plan the future, we’re here to stop him from becoming chairman.”
That’s when I realised the real boardroom isn’t in the agenda. It’s under the table.
Hidden agendas are the silent assassins of board effectiveness. They drain time, pollute trust, and make strategy execution impossible. I have seen great strategy documents shelved because a key director felt “excluded” during their drafting. Not because the document was weak, but because it wasn’t theirs. Ego, politics, and positioning don’t show up in the minutes, but they define the direction.
To fix this, I start like a good doctor by diagnosing, not prescribing. I interview board members one-on-one before any retreat. I ask questions that expose power plays:
“What’s working on this board?”,
“Where do you feel the board is wasting time?”, and
“What role do you think you should be playing?”
Most times, they talk, and the truth leaks out in between the lines. You don’t need to attack agendas, you need to make them visible.
When the board finally sits down, I use structured dissent. For example, I ask every member to write down their top three priorities privately. Then we reveal and discuss, No anchoring, No groupthink. You will be shocked at how misaligned they often are. From there, you align based on facts, not voices. I call this the ‘mirror before map’ method shows them where they are before telling them where to go.
Now, here’s the leadership challenge: You are chairing a board with visible tension. The CEO feels ambushed in every meeting. Directors contradict each other in front of staff. You can sense the undertone: something else is driving the fights.
Leadership tool: the 4-chair method
a) First, use pre-board surveys, which anonymously score alignment on key topics.
b) Second, separate “information” meetings from “decision” meetings. You will flush out drama when no vote is on the table.
c) Third, establish a ‘red chair’ rule: any director can call out misalignment if they feel personal agendas are creeping in.
d)Fourth, schedule quarterly one-on-one “listening calls.” You are not managing directors. You are managing dynamics.
Every board has its crocodiles hidden beneath the surface, smiling during the meeting, snapping behind the scenes. Don’t pretend they are not there. Please identify, name, and create a structure strong enough that even the hidden agendas become part of the conversation at the table.
That’s how real governance happens. Not in silence. But in sunlight.
