Name: The Board Director's Operating Manual: From Readiness to Research to Real Impact
Author: Brian R. Miller

What You'll Learn

Everything a Director Needs to Know

⚖️

Fiduciary Duties & D&O

The legal responsibilities of board service, including duty of care, duty of loyalty, and how to protect yourself with D&O insurance before you serve.

💰

Compensation & Succession

How to evaluate executive compensation—the board's most visible decision—and CEO succession planning—the board's most important responsibility.

📊

Financial Analysis Toolkit

Practical frameworks for independent financial analysis, competitive positioning, and SWOT analysis that every director should master.

🛡️

Activist Preparedness

How to understand and prepare for activist investor campaigns through risk assessment, vulnerability scoring, and tabletop simulation exercises.

🔍

Research Sources & Databases

The essential sources, databases, and research frameworks that informed directors use to make better decisions independently.

🏛️

Institutional Relationships

How to build institutional investor relationships and navigate the complex capital markets landscape that shapes modern governance.

Inside the Book

Chapter 6: Board Composition, Structure, and Leadership
Chapter 7: Executive Compensation
Chapter 8: CEO Succession Planning
Chapter 9: The Activist Investor
Chapter 10: Risk Governance, Cybersecurity, and AI
Chapter 11: ESG and the Stakeholder Value Framework
Chapter 12: Institutional Investors and Capital Markets

Part III: Director Research & Analysis

Building your independent research capability

Chapter 13: Why Directors Need Their Own Research
Chapter 14: Financial Analysis for Directors
Chapter 15: Competitive Positioning and Strategy
Chapter 16: Leadership, Culture, and Governance Quality
Chapter 17: The SWOT Analysis
Chapter 18: Case Study — A Board-Level Analysis

Part IV: Advanced Governance

From simulation to the boardroom

Chapter 19: The Activist Investor Tabletop
Chapter 20: Building a Culture of Governance Excellence
Chapter 21: Your Board Journey
9 Comprehensive Appendices

Unique Feature

The Director's Research Toolkit

Part III teaches what no other board book covers

Research Independence for Directors

Most governance books tell you what boards should do. This book teaches you how to do the research yourself. Part III provides the complete toolkit for independent company analysis—the same frameworks used in elite board readiness programs.

Financial Analysis: Revenue drivers, margin trends, capital allocation, and balance sheet health
Competitive Positioning: Industry dynamics, market share, strategic moats, and disruption risk
Leadership Assessment: Management quality, culture indicators, and governance structure evaluation
SWOT Framework: A structured approach to turning research into board-level action items

Director Research Checklist

Before Every Board Meeting:

[ ] Review latest 10-K/10-Q filings
[ ] Check peer financial comparison
[ ] Scan proxy advisor reports
[ ] Review institutional ownership changes
[ ] Assess activist investor activity
[ ] Check governance rating changes
[ ] Review industry analyst reports

Sources: SEC EDGAR, ISS, Glass Lewis,
Bloomberg, S&P Capital IQ, 13F filings

About the Author

Brian R. Miller

Brian Miller draws on elite board readiness training to create the most comprehensive guide to board service available today.

A graduate of the SLGI Board Readiness Program—a Stanford Directors' College-style curriculum—Brian participated in 50+ sessions with current board directors, governance experts, and industry leaders. Guest speakers included activist investors, Fortune 500 board chairs, and institutional investor advisors.

With 25+ years in technology and cybersecurity leadership, Brian brings a practitioner's perspective to governance topics including risk oversight, technology governance, and cybersecurity board education—areas increasingly critical to modern board effectiveness.

Why This Book

Board Readiness, Democratized

🎓

Elite Training, Accessible

Distills $10K-$20K board readiness programs into a comprehensive book. The same curriculum, frameworks, and insights—available to everyone.

🔍

Research-First Approach

The only governance book that teaches directors how to do their own research. Part III provides the complete toolkit for independent company analysis.

📋

9 Practical Appendices

Board readiness assessment, essential sources guide, governance frameworks, SWOT templates, compensation checklists, D&O guide, and more.

📈

Real Case Studies

Analysis of Tesla, Boeing, OpenAI, Berkshire Hathaway, and more. Learn from both governance successes and spectacular failures.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this book for?

C-suite executives (CISO, CIO, CFO, COO, CHRO) preparing for board service, senior leaders aspiring to their first board role, current directors seeking to elevate their effectiveness, board readiness program participants, general counsel, corporate secretaries, and MBA students studying governance.

How does this relate to "The Activist Investor Campaign"?

They're companion volumes. The Operating Manual provides the broad foundation of board service across all governance topics, while The Activist Investor Campaign goes deep on the specific challenge of activist engagement. Chapter 9 of this book introduces activist investors; the companion book provides the complete playbook.

I'm already on a board. Is this still useful?

Absolutely. Part III (Director Research & Analysis) provides frameworks that even experienced directors rarely have access to. The essential sources guide, financial analysis toolkit, and governance quality assessment are valuable regardless of your experience level.

Does it cover technology and cybersecurity governance?

Yes. Chapter 10 specifically addresses risk governance including cybersecurity oversight and AI governance—topics that are increasingly critical for modern boards. The author's 25+ years in technology and cybersecurity leadership bring unique depth to these sections.

What makes the research toolkit unique?

Most governance books tell directors what they should know. This book teaches them how to find the information themselves. Part III provides specific sources, databases, analytical frameworks, and a complete worked case study showing the entire research process from start to finish.

When will it be available?

The manuscript is in final review. Sign up for notifications using the "Notify Me" button to be informed when the book is available on Amazon in Kindle, paperback, and hardcover formats.

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The Board Director's Operating Manual