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Do you have the courage to ask the tough questions?

Do you have the courage to ask the tough questions?

Your Board Career

The role of the board has never been more important or complex. The skills required to make a meaningful contribution are changing every day.

Shaping culture, setting strategy, providing support to the executive and maximising shareholder value are just a few of the responsibilities of a board director.

Whether it is your first board position, or you are looking to build your portfolio, CHA can help you choose your next role. At CHA we are committed to both our clients and candidates. Click here to read our Candidate Charter and other ways we can support your career development.

If you are considering a portfolio career or making the leap from executive to non-executive, we highly recommend sharing your plans with people you trust.

In addition, finding someone who is currently on a board to share their experience and answer your questions would provide you with valuable insight and guidance.

As you start to consider your first board role, make sure you have asked and answered the following questions:

  • Why do I want to be on a board?
  • What unique skills and experiences do I possess that will add meaningful value to a board?
  • Realistically, how much free time do I have to commit?
  • Am I conflicted in any of my current executive or non-executive roles?
  • Do I understand the legal and statutory requirements of becoming a director?

Understanding the value you can add to a board is the first step. When looking at opportunities it is also important to look at the overall composition of the board to ensure you will have the right support if this is your first role.

It is also essential that you have spent time with your prospective fellow board members, getting to understand the culture and ensuring that you will be able to thrive in the environment; remember not all board roles are for you and that is ok.

In addition to the above, do consider the increased stakeholder scrutiny on boards, and what the result of this is in terms of expectations; professionally, standards of practice needs to be consistently high, with personal time commitments being considerably more than in the past. There are also statutory and legal responsibilities to consider.

Finally, it is vital that you have conducted your own due diligence on the organisations you plan on joining. Interviews go both ways, and a board portfolio should be proactively designed, not simply a collection of ill-considered roles. You have built up your professional profile over many years and joining the wrong board has the ability to cause damage to your reputation.

Is my CV board ready, should I change my interview style for a board role, or simply how to start to think about your next move?

CHA understands the better prepared you are as a candidate the more successful we are. Please visit our Thought Leadership page for articles, events, webinars and how to guides which can help support and guide you through your next career change.

Global Executive Search

& Trusted Leadership Advisor.