Picture it: A 10-foot long, oblong-shaped, glistening table surrounded by 12 comfortable, adjustable black leather swivel seats. Slowly, the Board of Directors (non-employee
members) enter, anxious to discuss and challenge strategy or other critical
business issues with management. The COB
formally opens the meeting.
In your mind, who is sitting at this table? Are all 12 members men? Or are some
women? Is the COB a male or a female?
What about the CEO? Are you at the table?
With women representing almost half of business schools
graduates, but holding few executive roles – and even fewer S&P500 CEO
roles (4%) - few businesswomen conquer the boardroom. Various methods are being employed to promote
– and attain – more female Board Members (non-employee directors)
globally. Society, governmental agencies
and other organizations are actively generating momentum to increase the number
of female Board members within any given company or organization.
Male or female, competition for Board seats is fierce. Thousands of qualified applicants vie for
only a few open seats each year. To
complicate matters, average length of service is increasing – open board seats
are a rare commodity. To obtain a board
seat, viable candidates should pursue every possible advantage.
Becoming a Board member (not for profit or for-profit)
affords personal and professional growth opportunities. Getting a seat at the table may be paramount to company
success, but it is also paramount to personal success. And while organizations promote female Board
membership, you can’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder. If you want to be a Board member, go after
it. Make Board membership a capstone
career ambition.
Four critical ingredients, when co-mingled, will support this
mission: acting exceptionally, networking constantly, serving nonprofits and
shedding your assumptions.
1. Acting exceptionally
To be a Board member, you don’t need to be THE best and
brightest in your field – but you absolutely should be well-versed and act withconfidence. Acting exceptionally means
leveraging your background, experience and qualifications. To be a key player in the Board room, you
need to understand the business. In
fact, most Board leaders agree that effective leaders understand the business,
management challenges and the financials.
2. Network, network and network some more
Similar to the job search process, networking provides
access: access to information, access to people, and access to
opportunities. If you desire a Board
seat, you need to network and create access.
And you need to network with people that operate at the Board or
Executive level or have access to those individuals, information and
opportunities.
Perhaps you do not network at the executive level – yet. Do not get discouraged. Review your current networks and identify
groups or relationships that can provide you with access to information, people
and opportunities at the executive level.
3. Serve on Non-Profit Boards
Serving a non-profit Board has long been considered a
stepping stone to serving a for-profit Board…and a means for gaining valuable
Board experience. Nonprofit Board membership offers different, yet still
valuable, experiences. Not-for-profit Board
roles provide members with a perspective on governance – and understanding the
difference between management and Board leadership.
4. Shed Your Assumptions
Ever meet people with a distinct, audible and obvious grudge
on their shoulders? Board cohesion is
critical to success. When Board leaders
respond to questions about Board effectiveness, compatibility remains a key
ingredient. I encountered countless
brilliant female executives who harbored grudges or, at least, belabored
previous bad experiences. Their grudges
limited their success and potential for career advancement because the grudge
impaired cooperation, communication and cohesion. To improve the probability of being
considered for a Board position, you need to shed any grievances.
You need to be viewed as compatible.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Return to your Boardroom.
How did you get there? How did
you get a seat at the table?
By being a leader who is viewed as acting exceptionally,
leveraging business and personal networks, serving the community and espouses
compatibility.
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