A bold cover for a book about governance under pressure

The cover for Purpose Under Pressure: The Governance Conversations Boards Need Now is now finished.

It is bold. And that feels right for this book.

From the beginning, I knew I didn’t want a generic governance cover. This is not a soft leadership reflection or a technical governance manual. It’s a book about the conversations boards need to have when responsibility is real, pressure is building and the usual ways of working are no longer enough.

The final cover reflects that.

It’s direct because the subject matter is direct. It’s strong because the work of governance under pressure deserves to be taken seriously. And it’s simple because the book isn’t about making governance more complicated.

Many boards feel informed. Few are truly assured.

That line appears on the back cover, and it sits close to the heart of the book.

Purpose Under Pressure is written for boards, Chairs, CEOs and governance leaders navigating complexity, scrutiny and change.

It explores the conversations boards need when goodwill is not enough, and purpose needs to be matched by the governance capability to carry it. The book blends boardroom insight with regulatory perspective, particularly around assurance, accountability, early signals and the questions boards need to ask before issues harden into crises. The cover needed to carry some of that weight.

The book asks boards to think about:

• what they notice

• what they miss

• where they rely on reassurance

• what pressure is building

• what conversation they are really in

• what kind of board the organisation will need next

It’s not a checklist, nor is it a technical governance manual. It’s a practical and reflective guide to navigating difficult conversations that support board judgement under pressure.

For Chairs, CEOs and directors operating in purpose-led organisations, these conversations are no longer optional extras. They sit at the heart of contemporary governance. Boards today are expected to understand risk earlier, test assurance more carefully and make decisions that can stand up to scrutiny. This book is written to help readers do that work with more discipline, confidence and care.

The book launches late May 2026.

To receive the launch link when the book is available, email janet@jaeiadvisory.com or connect with me on LinkedIn.