Inside the Boardroom.

York University professor Richard Leblanc gained unprecedented access to the boardrooms of North America's most powerful companies to complete his five-year study of how boards really work. The results of the study are reviewed in his new book, Inside the Boardroom--How boards really work and the coming revolution in corporate governance, co-authored by James Gillies. Gillies was the founding dean of York's Schulich School of Business.

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The book draws from Leblanc's observation of the inner workings of 21 boards of directors, and interviews with close to 200 directors. Leblanc suggests that personality is a very important part of selecting new board members.

"Most of the recent prescriptions for improving corporate governance focus on the structure of boards--their size, composition and independence," he says. "TSX companies should now recruit directors based on their competencies and skills, paying attention to personality, and have position descriptions and assessments done in light of the competencies and skills that directors actually bring to the board."

This new book outlines the character traits of both functional and dysfunctional director types, and how to appoint a better board.

By Richard Leblanc and James Gillies. Published by John Wiley & Sons. For more information visit www.wiley.com.