The Executive Evolution:
Board Experience
March 28, 2024
Linkedin Live Highlights
CNEXTis a leadership development and networking business. We help best-in-class organizations cultivate and maintain pipelines of exceptional leaders who deliver exponential results and champion inclusivity within their enterprises. CNEXTis committed to leadership development, career fulfillment, and organizational success.
As a senior executive, you will either work with the board or support those who do. Among other benefits, attaining a seat on an external board can help you leverage your board as a strategic asset and become a better leader. Yet, joining a board is a competitive process. Invest time in thorough preparation to ensure that you pursue the right opportunity and can maximize your impact once you are successfully placed.
POSITIONINGYOURSELF FOR BOARD OPPORTUNITIES
Demonstrate the ability to lead change
While boards may be involved in all large decisions, they play a disproportionate role in guiding company transformations. Showcase your experience in driving change at the enterprise level in addition to your functional expertise.
Leverage your network
Networking is key in the competitive landscape of board appointments. Communicate your interest in board positions to your professional and personal networks, including your own CEO and board.
Pick supportive leadership
The chair and CEO's openness to board member perspectives significantly influence the quality of board engagement and learning opportunities. Join a team that seeks to create real engagement in the room and invites your contributions.
MAKINGAN IMPACT ONABOARD OF DIRECTORS
Understand the risks
Boards face rising scrutiny from investors, political leaders, and the public. Be aware of the potential fiduciary and reputational risks associated with board membership. Conduct thorough research into the company before joining. Don’t be afraid to ask challenging questions to identify potential challenges or conflicts.
Be reflective. Use the following questions to help you shortlist the boards you wish to join:
Where are you in your career?
What can you contribute?
Where can you be impactful?
Ask powerful questions
New board members often feel compelled to share knowledge and details of their own experiences.They should instead lead with powerful questions to encourage executives to be more expansive in their thinking.This helps give the rest of the board a chance to engage with new facts, data, and experiences in the room before reaching conclusions.
Examples of powerful questions:
Tell me more about what’s under that thinking. What drives you to that conclusion? What facts are you seeing that I am not?
Don’t disrupt the direction of strategy
While bringing new ideas to the table is valuable, board members should ensure their contributions align with the existing strategic framework. Focus on additive insights rather than derailing discussions with entirely new initiatives.
Focus the conversation on the impact
It is not possible for the board to discuss all the company’s challenges. Help focus the discussion on only the four to five most critical initiatives driving the company's strategy.
Be
inquisitive
Preparation for board meetings should be broad and inclusive, going beyond personal expertise areas.Your contributions should be curious and thoughtful, not a performance of your experience.
Accept your place
New board members may feel intimidated by fellow directors with longer tenure or more seniority. Remember that you belong in the room. Don’t be reluctant to have your voice heard.There is nothing threatening or incorrect about asking questions.
Allow time to settle in
Understanding the board's dynamics and finding one's place within its societal structure is a process. Patience and active participation will naturally lead to a more significant
Serving on a board of directors is a transformative step that boosts leadership skills, expands market insights, and strengthens professional networks. Success requires adaptability, strategic insight, and governance knowledge. It's a path that leads to both organizational impact and personal growth, marking a pivotal move for executives aiming to enhance their leadership journey.
Panelists included:
CNEXTis a Community of LeadersAdvancing Leaders.
● Deb Grant, Executive Vice-Chairwoman of CNEXT, President and CEO of Corporate Playbook
CNEXTcreates Virtual Leaders Forums, consisting of high-potential senior executives supported by former successful public company CEOs.
● Jack Stahl, Co-founder of CNEXT, Former President and CEO of Revlon, Former Global President, CFO, and COO ofThe Coca-Cola Company
Members participate in virtual meetings to gain insights, approaches, and tools to tackle their most pressing leadership and business challenges, while also developing valuable peer networks for the future - all to accelerate organizational performance and achieve their business objectives and professional aspirations.
● Lyndon Taylor, Regional Managing Partner, NACEO & Board Practice of Heidrick & Struggles, Inc.
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