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Professor Paul Healy from Harvard Business School has surveyed over 2000 directors of global companies about their boards' size and composition, internal dynamics, internal governance, and effectiveness.
He says an effective board should be seen as a team of people, rather than an exclusive club, with a varied skill set and not too many high profile members.
Also recommended is taking the time to understand the culture and tone of the whole organisation rather than just the elite, and avoiding group think.