The People Who Matter

I was in Las Vegas attending a conference this week, and I was able to catch up with a dear friend from college for dinner.? As we often do when we get together, the conversation veered from the past to the present to plans for the future - a luxury that exists when you’ve known someone for over 30 years.? One of the many benefits of this deep well of friendship and shared history is that you can really “keep it real”.?

At dinner, we were discussing, again, what I want to do when I “grow up”.? As my friend knew well, I have been pursuing, discussing, thinking about, making lists, but yet, making no progress on joining a? corporate board.? I have signed up for #Athena and #Chief.? I have attended webinars and connected with folks in my network that serve on boards to let them know I am looking.? I’ve sought introductions to corporate board recruiting practices.? Every time I get introduced to a VC or private-equity partner, I mention my desire to serve on a corporate or advisory board.? I even occasionally chat up interesting folks I meet on the many business flights I take.? Man, I am putting it out into the ether.? Alas, nothing has come to fruition and mostly I lament that I’m the one to blame because this goal of mine is the 51st thing to do on my list of 50+ things to do and I’m not prioritizing my efforts.? True.? Maybe true.??

As I reflected aloud on my litany of unsuccessful efforts, I recounted? a couple of episodes along my journey.? When we first moved to Austin in 2020, I reconnected with a VC-partner with whom I had previous interactions. I gave him an update on all the amazing experiences I had garnered since we had last chatted and I shared my desire to look for board opportunities.? His response was polite (sort of), but perfunctory.? When I pressed him, he rattled off the names of two women in the VC community with whom he suggested I connect.? He didn’t proactively offer to introduce me.? When I did my research on these women, they seemed credible, but not particularly senior or tenured.

A more recent interaction with an active investor was in many ways very positive.? The investor and I had a very collegial discussion, shared our backgrounds, and connected dots, both personal and professional.? He even asked me one of my favorite questions, both to ask and to answer: “What do you want to do when you grow up?”? And I told him about my desire to sit on corporate boards.? The investor perked up and generously offered to connect me with a couple of very senior and seasoned bad-ass women in the Austin area.? And he followed through with those introductions immediately, connections were made and coffees planned.? This interaction was fantastic, and very much appreciated.?

After sharing these two episodes with my friend, I voiced a burgeoning thought: that these men, one very helpful and one not, both ended up at the same point -- offering to connect me to other women.? Don’t get me wrong:? I want to continue to grow and maintain my network of successful executive women, but I don’t exclusively need to look to women to accomplish my corporate board goals.? I need to be introduced to the people who matter, regardless of gender, who can help me find that corporate board position.?

When I spoke this thought, my friend, who I know to be a strong advocate for women, had his own “aha!” moment.? He realized that more often than not he also falls into the habit of introducing women to other women.? And while he is trying to raise women up and connect them to opportunities, perhaps the ultimate impact is building a stronger, great network of executive women, who still aren’t getting seats at the corporate boardroom table.??

Reflecting on my own experience of being a sponsor (versus being a mentor ) - and being sponsored - over the course of my? professional career, a key principle is that one must actively advocate for the person being sponsored, broaden their visibility across the organization, give them new opportunities, etc.? If I were only to advocate for the women I sponsor to and with other women, that would be severely limiting, particularly in the tech world given the overall representation of women. For what it’s worth, the same goes for the men whom I sponsor.? I advocate for these individuals with the people who matter.

So what happened in Vegas, isn’t staying in Vegas for me.? It’s a reminder for myself, and it’s a reminder to all the amazing allies out there as well.? When I’m looking to make connections in my journey to the boardroom, I need to be upfront in asking to be introduced to the people who matter.?