What I'm reading - Daryn Govender

South African-born, Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland-based Daryn Govender CMInstD is a corporate strategy manager at the Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) and has had prior roles at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and ASB. 

He has a double degree in civil engineering and commerce from Auckland University, and offshore experience working in Vietnam and the US. In 2021, the Superdiversity Institute and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities named him as a top ‘diverse emerging board-ready director’, and the following year, he was a recipient of the Institute of Directors (IoD) First Steps in Governance Award. 

Passionate about bringing his financial and corporate lens to the not-for-profit space, Daryn has been on a number of boards and is currently a trustee for Te Pūtahi Centre for Architecture and City Making which runs ‘Open Christchurch’ – Aotearoa’s largest independent festival of architecture.

This week, Daryn brings to light some thoughts from one of the go-to voices in leadership – Steven Bartlett, host of popular podcast The Diary of a CEO. 

What is the governance/business book you’re reading or can recommend? 

I’m reading The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business & Life by Steven Bartlett. 

The book is written in a way that makes it easy to understand for a wide audience. Steven explains the 33 laws to readers using case studies, quotes from experts and graphics, while considering several points of view.

The book also includes an extensive references section for those who want to explore each law further. 

What drew you to the book? 

I have been listening to Steven’s The Diary of a CEO podcast for a few years so reading the book was a natural progression.

For those not familiar with the podcast, Bartlett is an entrepreneur, investor and author who has founded several businesses and was the youngest ever ‘Dragon’ on Dragons’ Den UK. During each episode Steven interviews a subject-matter expert or personality in depth, with episodes ranging from an hour to more than three hours allowing the deep exploration of their life stories and expertise.

The book distills the learnings from the podcast into 33 laws which are applicable to everyday life. 

What resonated with you the most? 

The Diary of a CEO explores a range of topics across four areas: self, story, philosophy and teams. 

Steven’s podcast has several years of content with world-leading guests in their respective fields. I enjoyed the way Steven weaves together learnings from business, subject matter experts, his own experiences and the podcast, to form a set of laws that make for very compelling reading. 

I found the 10th law the most interesting (and have seen it applied many times in real life) – you’ll have to read the book to find out more!

What is something you’ve taken away from the books and podcasts that now follows you into your board roles? 

Reading and listening to podcasts has helped foster my curiosity and the ability to synthesise and question information and viewpoints, especially as I’ve served on boards in a range of sectors over my governance career from education to community law, membership-based organisations, healthcare and the arts. So having the ability to quickly learn about a whole new sector or decision point through board papers, reading and listening is invaluable. 

How does reading feed into your continued governance practice/learning?  

I make a point of keeping up with current affairs through a variety of sources. I think having a general understanding of what is going on globally, and across New Zealand, provides you with a good context in which to make decisions. For more in-depth business and journalism reporting I use sources such as the New Zealand Herald and BusinessDesk. The Institute of Directors quarterly Boardroom publication is also a great read of curated governance issues. 

Who should read this book or listen to the podcast and at what stage in their governance career? 

I think people at any stage of their governance career with a general interest in business, psychology and marketing should read this book (or listen to the podcast). It helped me understand a range of ideas from the importance of health to how to be persuasive in a discussion, to building culture in an organisation. 

When you’re not reading books on business or governance, what kind of books or other media are you consuming? 

I read a range of books – the most recent was The Three-Body Problem series by Cixin Liu. The series was a long read but changed how I view the place of humanity in the universe – I finished it just in time for the release of the Netflix series.  

For those who listen (or want to listen) to the Diary of the CEO podcast, my most recent favourites have been those with the co-founder of LinkedIn Reid Hoffman, Vanessa Van Edwards, founder of ‘Science of People’ and charisma expert Charlie Houpert. I find that podcasts are great for learning on the go while commuting or mowing the lawn.

What are some of the most pertinent governance issues top of mind for you, and why? 

Governance succession is at the top of mind for me as governance roles transition to the next generation of directors. Ten per cent of the Institute of Directors’ membership is aged under 40 compared with over 50 per cent of New Zealanders being under the age of 40, according to the 2023 Census. 

So, developing a pipeline of governance talent is crucial to ensure boards are well placed to replace retiring directors in future years. I’m excited to see the Institute of Directors supporting younger directors through initiatives including the Future Directors programme and the expansion of the Young Directors' Network in 2025. 

What has been the most surprising thing you’ve discovered about yourself and others while being on a board? 

The most surprising thing I’ve discovered about myself through my governance career is the influence of board culture and the role the chair plays in developing this. Governance is a team activity – boards work best when the environment is conducive to robust conversations. I’ve found that spending more casual time together as a board is one of the best ways to build stronger board relationships because you learn more about your peers beyond meetings. 

If there was anything you want to see more of at the board table, what would it be, and why? 

I would like to see more people considering joining a board in their local community. I think most people associate boards or governance with large organisations or NZX50 listed companies. However, there are many opportunities to learn governance skills and contribute in other contexts such as local not-for-profits (NFPs), local government, community groups and school boards, which is where I started. All boards benefit from people with diverse perspectives, backgrounds, skills, and experience.

We're now opening the column up to podcasts, documentaries and anything that inspires you as a director. If you would like to submit a review, please email: sonia.yee@iod.org.nz