I have found that many great ideas are bottlenecked in the boardroom for three main reasons:

Limited Perspective

The board is too close to understand the reality of the outside perception of the organization. Because of their limited perspective, new strategies are built in a chamber around the individual likes of the board, not what will work best for the organization.

The Hobbyists

Most boards are filled with decorated individuals who are highly respected, but don’t necessarily have a reason to turn a profit. Hence, they are known for dragging out decisions, which sends a message to stakeholders that the organization is just ordinary.

The Undercover Strategist

Most boards have one or more people who want to be the hero with the great ideas. These individuals are known for dragging out agendas, and are the reason most meetings last hours past the scheduled time.

All three of these challenges can only be fixed through a great chairman or outside consultant who is willing to be hated for a short time.