In 2025, boards faced risk and economic uncertainty (and volatility, to say the least), leaving organisations wanting to get ahead of the top board trends of tomorrow. In addition, Diligent hosted the Elevate Leadership Summit, a by-invitation gathering of corporate directors and executives who heard expert advice on the future of corporate governance.
In all sessions, a common theme emerged: boards will only remain effective if they shift from passively leading to actively using data to govern, setting disciplined processes, and putting human judgment at the centre. This will remain true for the upcoming year, but what will be the top board trends in 2026? Let’s see what the experts had to say on that:
1) From Passive to Active GRC— Board Trends Augmented by AI
Active GRC is replacing passive oversight as one of the top board trends of the upcoming year, with directors confronting increasing risk and low confidence in near‑term conditions. Speakers suggested augmenting teams with AI agents to handle foundational tasks and “ask the next question,” freeing leaders to focus on strategy amid resource constraints.
2) AI Governance: Measure What People Actually Do
The biggest AI risk isn’t only technical; it’s invisible usage. AI governance should incorporate real usage metrics, not just periodic sentiment surveys, and pair cultural encouragement (safe experimentation and knowledge‑sharing) with “lighthouse” projects that prove measurable value to employees and shareholders.
3) Culture Oversight is Expanding and Needs Better Data
Board oversight of culture has outgrown legacy tools. When looking at upcoming top board trends, it’s clear that public trust continues to concentrate on employers and brands, and employees increasingly make choices based on societal beliefs. Activism is rising, and many boards still haven’t discussed company stances on social issues. Our speakers discussed the possibility of utilising a broader range of anonymised unstructured data – such as employee intranet messages and chat data – to inform decisions, useful insights, while ensuring individual employees aren’t being singled out or retaliated against for escalating concerns.
4) AI Literacy and Security: Non‑negotiable Board Trends
Boards need AI literacy and strong cyber foundations; there’s no leapfrogging weak security into trustworthy AI. Keep a human in the loop, test for bias systematically (using available benchmarks), and consider experimenting with smaller models and improved licensing terms where they fit the use case and data‑governance needs.
5) Red Flags and the First 72 Hours
Early red flags require pre‑defined protocols, not improvisation. The first 72 hours following a crisis event should trigger escalation playbooks, evidence preservation (including email freezes), independent counsel where appropriate, and non‑retaliation toward whistleblowers, all paired with board‑level visibility and documented independence.
Continuous monitoring (increasingly AI‑enabled) can surface fraud risk indicators earlier, narrowing the expectation gap around what audit and compliance actually do.
6) Speak‑Up Culture Emerges as One of the Top Board Trends
Number 6 on the expert-informed list of top board trends? A speak‑up culture with higher hotline usage is a positive signal, but only if organisations close the loop, protect anonymity, and report metrics to the board. Leaders should be encouraged to normalise and celebrate reporting, which reduces fear and builds trust across the enterprise.
7) Board-Executive Dynamics Are Shifting Under Scrutiny
Executives are pushing for director refreshment, and more of them see boards overstepping compared to last year. Meanwhile, CEO turnover is up, with most departures described as unplanned. These themes raise the premium on preparedness, role clarity, and disciplined engagement between boards and management.
8) Succession Planning Must Be Continuous and Robust
Effective succession planning should be continuous and discussed at every meeting, with directors knowing the pipeline at least one level down and preparing for unexpected transitions – including mission-critical roles beyond the CEO.
The board chair’s (or independent lead director’s) role in tone‑setting and inclusion is pivotal. Boards can benefit greatly from periodic third‑party evaluations to raise effectiveness.
9) Executive Compensation is Evolving Amid Volatility
Executive compensation committees are recalibrating discretion, which allows boards to award compensation based not only on results, but also on qualitative assessment. COVID‑era lessons showed shareholders tolerate discretion in executive compensation when the rationale is strong and disclosure is clear.
Executive security as part of the compensation package is increasingly viewed as a governance and risk issue in South Africa; ongoing discussions around policy and regulatory frameworks, including King IV and JSE Listings Requirements, emphasise enhanced transparency and accountability in executive pay disclosures. Meanwhile, evolving proxy advisor practices and shareholder activism are reshaping institutional voting and governance engagement ahead of annual general meetings.
10) Better Questions and Diverse Composition Strengthen Oversight
Directors who ask, “What do I need to understand?” and “Do I have all the information?” sharpen risk oversight. Building formal and informal trusted channels with audit and compliance leaders can improve signal quality, while targeted training helps boards recognise fraud indicators. Evidence that boards with a broader range of perspectives are more effective highlights the value of having a well-balanced and diverse composition.
To 2026 and Beyond: What Other Top Board Trends Will We See?
The year ahead will reward boards that operationalise judgment: clear protocols for crises, richer data streams on people and culture, pragmatic approaches to compensation, and step‑wise AI adoption that starts with the reality of how employees are using it. The common denominator is disciplined curiosity. The best directors will ask better questions, measure what matters, and adapt faster.
