#Review: Everything Starts at the Top by Srinath Sridharan & Agamjeet Dang

I approached Everything Starts at the Top expecting a fairly conventional book on corporate governance, but I found its central premise more interesting than that. Srinath Sridharan and Agamjeet Dang argue that boards can no longer operate through structures and assumptions designed for a slower, more predictable business environment. Technology, cyber risk, regulatory scrutiny, investor expectations and public visibility have changed what governance actually demands.

What worked for me was the book’s insistence that governance is about much more than compliance. The line, “governance has become harder in practice,” neatly captures the book’s argument. I also liked the emphasis on capability rather than simply having the right titles and structures in place. The discussion of the “capability deficit”, the “independence illusion” and the need for directors to understand technology, risk and increasingly complex business models feels particularly relevant to contemporary organisations.

The writing is measured and professional, which suits the subject. It is clear without trying to oversimplify a complicated area. At the same time, this is not a book I would pick up for an easy, entertaining read. Some sections feel dense and conceptual, and the repeated return to similar ideas can make the argument feel slightly circular. I also found myself wanting more detailed case studies and concrete examples of boards navigating the situations the authors describe. The ideas are persuasive, but showing more of them in action would have made the book considerably more accessible.

Overall, I found the book thoughtful and timely. Its strongest contribution is perhaps its attempt to move the conversation around boards from structure to substance—from whether governance mechanisms exist to whether they actually work when circumstances become difficult.

Find this book here.