Last-Minute Leadership: reading board papers on the train isn’t good enough

In governance contexts, few sights are more familiar, or more concerning than a board member leafing through their meeting papers on the train, invariably en route to the boardroom. It might look harmless, even dedicated. But let’s be clear: reading your board pack on the way to the meeting is not good governance. In fact, it’s the complete opposite.

Governance is not a commuter sport

Serving on a board isn’t just about showing up. It’s about showing up prepared, with insight, context, and clarity. A good board paper should not be a quick read. It should require thought, reflection, and sometimes, a healthy amount of challenge. Reading them on the train or worse, for the first time in the meeting itself (we've all seen it) means you're reacting to information rather than engaging with it strategically.

Board meetings aren’t briefings. They’re decision-making forums. And decisions made without proper preparation are at best superficial, and at worst, negligent.

The Role of the board is too important for shortcuts

Directors and trustees have serious responsibilities: fiduciary, legal, and strategic. Preparation is part of the job. A well-governed board:

• Receives its papers in good time (and if they don’t, they ask why).

• Expects members to read and reflect on the material in advance.

• Uses the meeting to interrogate, challenge, and make informed decisions, not to digest basic information for the first time.

If you're scanning the finance report as the train pulls into the station, you're not going to spot the anomaly in operating expenditure, the misalignment with the strategy, or the emerging reputational risk. You’re going to skim and nod. That’s not stewardship, that’s seat-filling.

Why it matters

Unprepared board members:

• Slow meetings down by asking questions already answered in the papers.

• Miss patterns or red flags because they haven’t had time to connect the dots.

• Undermine the executive by appearing disengaged or disrespectful of their time.

• Signal to other board members that this level of engagement is acceptable.

Worse still, it erodes trust, in each other, in the process, and in the decisions that are made.

What good looks like

Preparation means more than reading. It means:

• Reading in context: Connecting the content of board papers to the organisation’s strategy, risk appetite, and past decisions.

• Raising questions in advance: Giving executives a heads-up if clarification is needed before the meeting.

• Identifying gaps: Noticing what isn’t in the pack, and asking why.

• Reflecting on impact: Thinking through the consequences of decisions before they’re discussed in the room.

Prepared board members lead better discussions, make smarter decisions, and model the behaviour expected of good governance.

A cultural shift

Board culture is set by the behaviours that are tolerated. If reading on the train is quietly accepted, it becomes the norm. But when boards expect and value preparation, they create a culture where governance is taken seriously and where contribution is thoughtful, and time is respected.

Executives notice. Fellow board members notice. And the organisation benefits.

Let’s stop pretending that last-minute reading is better than nothing. It’s not. It’s a symptom of a deeper problem: a lack of seriousness about the role. Board membership is not honorary. It’s a position of responsibility and influence. And it starts with showing up ready to lead, not just physically, but mentally and strategically.

So next time you’re tempted to open your board pack on the 08:42 to Paddington, ask yourself, what does this say about my commitment to the organisation I serve?

Let me know if you need some advice on managing board expectations and maintaining good, constructive boardroom culture.