This January, Germany has dominated the news for women in business, with their bold step to require stock exchange-listed companies with executive boards of more than three, to have at least one woman on those boards. The cabinet have approved draft legislation to this effect, which according to the Justice Ministry, "would affect about 70 companies – of which 30 currently … [Read more...]
Does Your Board Have a Bell-Jar Ecosystem?
The progressive boardroom moves the needle away from operating in a vacuum with targeted board recruitment for the 21st century. While turbulence is not new, its nature and degree present an ever-increasing need for executive-level acumen to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks in the ever-more-sophisticated business environment. According to Spencer Stuart, … [Read more...]
Top 10 Board of Directors Reads – 1st Quarter 2015
To compile a “best reads” list for corporate directors and director candidates is a challenge that keeps me on the cutting edge. Feel free to just review the list, provide feedback on what you like, and challenge what you feel is not worthy of the list---maybe even make suggestions about what to read next! 1. Coping with a Still-Fragile Global Finance System An Interview … [Read more...]
Board Evaluations – Getting It Right
The progressive board looks for the time and resources spent on board evaluation to align with their philosophy of continuous improvement and reflective intelligence. The Focus of a Board Evaluation At the very least, a board evaluation will focus on key functions of the board, provide a “gap” analysis that draws weak areas to the surface, provide disbursement of responses, … [Read more...]
Inquiring Minds Want to Know About Board Evaluation
The Wall Street Journal reports approximately 19 percent of the largest public U.S. companies hired an outsider to evaluate their boards in 2013 — a 17 percent leap since 2010. Those numbers come from Spencer Stuart, an executive search firm. In five years, up to 35 percent of major companies could be putting "board doctors" to use. Financial and banking firms were some of … [Read more...]
10 Ways LinkedIn Can Help You Get a Board of Directors Seat
Everyone understands the potential for LinkedIn, but how much visibility can a board candidate expect to produce? How can LinkedIn help you get a board of directors seat? Despite the bad rap social media gets from time to time, LinkedIn simply cannot be ignored. It is the go-to network for professionals looking to advance their careers. Here are a few facts: 1. Inspiration … [Read more...]
Building Momentum to Become a Public Company Board Member
Moving forward on your goal of becoming a public company board member requires a purposeful focus with dedicated time and effort. You can help shape your future with these four actions: 1. Separate Your Leadership Skills from the Crowd Think about what is hard to forget about you or your leadership experiences. Share this with others. 2. Develop Your Storyline Your … [Read more...]
3 Tips to Jump Start Your Social Media Strategy and Gain a Board of Directors Seat
How do I jump-start my social media strategy to gain a board of directors seat this year? I get this question a lot, and recently, many people have been asking me for ideas that would help them get a better focus for a social media plan. Here are a few tips to help you get started: 1. Start your social media self-promotion plan in phases. Align your marketing to these four … [Read more...]
Next Generation Board Member – New Normal, New Competencies
Traditionally, what makes someone qualified for a board seat is experience, knowledge, and skill. But the business climate in the 21st century has been changing. Three changes that board members need to understand today include: 1. Knowledge Knowledge is universally available and can rapidly become obsolete. 2. Uncertainty The business climate is one of increasing … [Read more...]
CEO Skill Set: Getting Board Buy-In
Board alignment with the CEO is a critical component of a high-performing board of directors. Opinions vary on the definition of what constitutes a high-performing board, but the topic of building and leveraging a board comes up in my consulting practice regularly. The CEO skill set needs to include the ability to get board buy-in. Here are a few highlights: Trust The … [Read more...]