Six Characteristics of The Metamorphosis from CEO to Board Director

I am a Professional Board Director and Corporate Governance Specialist. I serve on Boards, train Directors and write books. Here I share my thoughts, anecdotes and question marks on the topic of Corporate Governance and Board work.

What happens when an excellent operational manager converts into a Board Director? What signifies such a person's mental metamorphosis? Here are a few unscientifically gathered insights:

A few days ago I had the pleasure to discuss, in depth, with a former CEO of a number of global European companies. We dwelled extensively on his transition from an operations-focused executive to a full-time Board Director, since a couple of years. 

The encounter, and the thoughts it spurred, made me revisit the needed mental metamorphosis that excellent Directors go through when leaving the executive stage and entering the secluded Board room. My own experience naturally initiated the picture, however in researching for my next book, I have during the last two years informally "interviewed" many a CEO-gone-Director to see if I could find some common denominators. 

I will try to summarise below a few of the characteristics the interviewees have highlighted:

• You have satisfied your own on-stage needs. Working as a Board Director means minimal broad public recognition when you have done a great job. An excellent Board manages and stalls many a chaotic situation before they actually happen. So your personal need for public recognition have been fulfilled already in your executive career. However, you never ever hesitate to take a temporary step into the limelight again, if it's for the best of the company, in that particular situation. 
• You realise that it takes a couple of years to actually fully transform your thinking into a proper Board perspective. Specifically, you actively de-learn the urge to operationally execute and re-learn the division of labour between the Board and the CEO, from a strategic and governance perspective.
• You re-position your personal brand, with different connotations than the ones you had in your operational career. Your highlighted skills differ. Your full-blown spectra of acquired experiences become valuable, but now applicable from a general, strategic helicopter view rather than "what I did in 1984 in Company Z". Match-making yourself is key and you commit to analysing on which Boards, in which situations, with what ambitions, will you be able (and keen on) adding the most value? Then you brand and market yourself in that direction only.
• You are on a Board, a.k.a. a true High Performing Team. If never before, your are now on a high performing team (hopefully). A diverse set of skills and experiences, diverse backgrounds, diverse communication styles joined together and together you make decisions on complex matters that affect many people. With a limited amount of time at the Board's disposal. Always prepared, and accustomed to taking in figures and data continuously. You are ready for any heated discussion for the best of the company, but always honour an eventual decision made and back it up fully, no matter you initial stand point.
• Identification is key. You are really harsh about how to promptly figuring out if you can identify with the company, its industry, and its owners. Before accepting a Board position. You quickly develop a unique set of go/no-go questions that instantly translates your gut feeling into weighted analysis and ultimately a decision. Because you know by now that when you eventually enter into a Board position, that company becomes part of your everyday life, and although you have only few clues on what that journey will entail, you know that you will have to stand up for your directorship. So you better identify and engage in the company. 
• You are still keen. As opposed to "fat and happy". But keen on the strategic and governance arena, no longer operationally keen. Because your task is now to hire the best CEO possible who will take on the operational role. Not doing that job yourself.

These characteristics are by no means all-inclusive but might give a hint (or inspiration) about transforming from CEO into a great Director.

"Mental Metamorphosis" - a term coined to explain the ever changing mentality of a human being. Your thoughts are unique compared to others, they're also unique within yourself based on the time frame. Hence, your thoughts on a specific issue today most certainly was different 20 years ago. For differing reasons. The mental metamorphosis gives you exquisite skills to switch perspectives. Use this in the Board room. To make a difference and add value to the companies you are set to direct.