The public company Board of Directors is under increasing pressure to generate lasting value and help corporate leaders excel in a changing environment where business, technology, and markets move faster than ever before. Consultants, self-help gurus, and so-called leadership consultants have all contributed to a climate where mediocrity is rewarded because it is the safe choice. A corporate culture that is afraid of candidly facing business reality and, “focuses on the positive,” is creating an even bigger challenge for those individuals who hold seats on the Board of Directors.

Accountability has never been more important.

Internal Audit — the eyes and ears of the Board — plays a critical role for boards to really understand the challenges facing the companies they oversee. Governance, oversight, and the fiduciary interests of investors have never been more critical. Are Internal Audit leaders actually playing the right role? Are they looking at the right things? Too often, Internal Audit teams focus on the details, missing the forest for the trees. At a time where growth has been favored by Wall Street, companies have lacked accountability as managers and corporate leaders grow increasingly distant from how work gets done.