In the old days, a blacksmith did not apply for work; he lit a fire. He showed the village his hammer, his scars, and the sword he forged last week. Today’s job applicant? They send a copy-pasted scroll, forged by ChatGPT, not fire. Last week I posted a job. Five days. 350 views. 321 applications. But here is the shock: I added a simple instruction at the end, answer a written question. Only 20 tried. Most skipped it. Those who did? They let ChatGPT do the talking. Not even an edit to show personality, insight, or hunger. Just default, lifeless…

At a recent closed-door review for a financial institution, a long-serving board member confidently asserted, “We’ve been through worse.” The room went silent. The comment, meant to reassure, exposed the core risk: legacy directors stuck in a pre-digital playbook while the business fights 21st-century fires with 20th-century tools. Modern boardrooms need a different DNA. The 21st-century board director is not a steward of stability but a strategist of disruption. Longevity on a board means nothing if it is not coupled with learning velocity. The following five traits now define director relevance: Agility under uncertainty – Directors must think in systems,…