Tales from the Boardroom
Nine stories for scaling businesses
A NEW BOOK BY KATE SMYTH · COMING NOVEMBER 2026
Ever wished you could sit in on someone else’s board meeting and hear what’s really going on?
Now you can.
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Early reviews
“Anyone who has run a business will recognise something in these stories. They’re easy to dip into, but the questions at the end stay with you. They make you think about the concerns you need to voice before small problems become overwhelming.”
“This book is not just thought-provoking.
By exposing the human fallibility that prevent good businesses becoming great, Kate has provided founders and leaders with list of what needs fixing first, before going for growth.”
“On the surface, it’s a beautifully written collection of parables. Dig a little deeper and it’s a gold mine. Tales from the Boardroom is full of learning, self-reflection and honest lessons that will reward the introspection and effort you put in. If you’re running a business today, this is a must-read.”
Step inside nine boardrooms, each facing a challenge that will be familiar to anyone growing a business.
The senior hire isn’t working out. Decisions keep coming back to the founder. Everyone agrees something needs to change, though they’re less sure what.
Each story pulls back the curtain on a different boardroom. You’ll see what the leaders think the problem is, what they’re missing, and what starts to shift when they ask a better question.
If you lead a growing business, you may recognise more than you expect.
Peek behind the scenes before the book comes out.
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Meet the Author
Kate Smyth
Founder, Author, SpeakerKate works with founders and senior teams of growing businesses when the people problems keep coming back and nobody can quite agree why.
As a board adviser and founder of Meraki People, she helps them see what’s happening beneath the surface: the decisions, roles and structures that no longer fit the business they’ve become.
Her clients call her the Board Whisperer*. She’s been asked more than once whether she was hiding in the corner of their last board meeting.
Tales from the Boardroom is her first book. The characters and businesses are imagined. Any resemblance to a boardroom you’ve sat in is entirely intentional.
* Registered Trademark