Most board members find their first role through social networks. This requires a curated brand as a reputable and ideal board member, and a unique board proposition: what are your values and core reasons for wanting to serve on a board? And what can you bring to the board in terms of expertise and experience? If you have no prior board experience, create talking points tailored to the company and draw on your relevant and transferable expertise, weaving in your functional background and your values.
This can be in the form of local board programs to better understand the specific situation or broader programs to learn best practices and governance mechanisms. These programs bring together aspiring board members and seasoned directors who are often willing to share best practices and case studies.
You do not need to serve on boards exclusively. While joining a board requires a shift in mindset from executive to supervisory, your role can be hugely beneficial to existing executive positions. Gaining a board-down perspective can help you better understand how a board works with its C-suite and what is required of you and why. It also offers a new lens to take back into the business alongside a new set of skills, shaped by a board of interesting and influential leaders.
It may be given less airtime than the financial due diligence required in choosing a board, but cultural fit is also critical for finding the right board for you. Take practical steps to identify the culture of the board and analyze whether itās the best fit for you, both culturally and practically.
To be an effective board member, you need to be less āin the weedsā of the day-to-day business operations and ready to act as a sparring partner, offering experience, expertise, and diversity of thinking, as well as an ability to benefit the culture of a board ā energizing fellow members, leaving them feeling inspired and motivated, and taking them to where they want to be next.
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