
E30 - What Boards Really Want from the CEO
Published: February 18, 2026
Duration: 23:03
Boards have high expectations for CEOs, but what do directors truly want beyond the numbers and reports?
In this episode, Wayne Peacock, vice chair of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation and the former CEO of USAA, and Dona Young, a director on the boards of USAA, NACD, and Spahn & Rose, spoke with NACD director of governance content Mallory Bucher. Peacock and Young are cochairs of the NACD 2025 Blue Ribbon Commission. Together, they unpack what directors expect from CEOs. They also discuss how to establish trust early and maintain it through disagreement and disruption, and why steady leadership and...