CREDIBLE DIRECTOR PROFILE
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In AICD’s Company Director magazine (November 2012) a range of experts were asked for their top tips on how you can brush up on your directorship brand to secure your first or more board positions. Here is my response.
Be very clear on what capabilities you bring to the board and which strengths are differentiators in the hyper-competitive aspiring-director field. Align these attributes consistently to everything you do and say. A professional LinkedIn profile should reinforce your "story" when your name gets entered into a search engine. It is also likely that you carry a label, such as "she’s the lawyer" or "he’s the accountant", so map out how you will convince nominations committee members you can contribute to their specific board. This includes a well-articulated board resume that strongly builds the case for your seat at the table.
Make purposeful choices. Concentrate on those activities that matter most to achieve your board search goals. While you may target sectors or organisations, consider the board composition and chairman profile of particular boards. Analyse the director vacancy landscape carefully to identify where to focus, the gaps in the market, where your skills will be of real benefit, which networking events to attend and how to maximise your "return on effort".
Reputation is earned. Respect and trust from, and of, your prospective fellow directors builds over time. Be congruent – "how" is as important as "what". Join committees so you can be seen in action and become known. Your "presence" should be confident, fully engaged and articulate. Dynamics within a collegiate boardroom rely on judicious observation, listening and comment, so demonstrate these behaviours.
Extend your reach. Gaining visibility and messaging your aspirations requires considered thought. Many directors connect with industry groups or auditors, compensation consultants and lawyers who service board clients. Others express interest to those involved in initial public offerings or private equity. This should get you on the radar of search firms and senior directors.
Nurture relationships. Do not take it for granted that people know how to specifically support you or the quality of your boardroom contribution. While a mentor will help you "find your voice", more importantly, a sponsor "gets your voice heard at the table". Having these people speak on your behalf can avoid the self-promotion dilemma – the need to assert your competence while knowing people who do self-promote may be viewed negatively. Then reciprocate and support others.
Mistakes to avoid:
Do not assume your corporate role is an open passport. An industry track record is not enough for directorship. Board interactions and processes differ significantly from corporate management. The skill shifts involve moving from execution to oversight and from operational tactics to strategic analysis.
Do not go in too hard. Get noticed without becoming pushy or coming across as desperate. Ego and self-image can work for or against you. Influencing is a key director skill.
Not all contacts count. Many people mismanage networking. They build imbalanced networks, chase the wrong relationships, indiscriminately collect passive social-network contacts or leverage the type of contacts they have ineffectively.
Do not ignore the noise. There are usually four themes that underpin an undercurrent of so-called "noise" about, and around, a potential director candidate: capability, style, motive and commitment. If perceptions are deep-seated, they may have been formed over years, so it requires consistent effort to change them.
Do not wing it. Plan and rehearse before you approach directors for advice. Be thoughtful and considered with your questions. Do not be surprised if you start to be interviewed – so be prepared and have a view on the pressing issues. And yes, be gracious, including picking up the tab for coffee.
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