What are the 3 biggest mistakes executives make when building their board careers?

No 1: They take the wrong first step...

They either start by spending a fortune on governance training (before ever doing a board role or knowing what it entails) or, they take what they believe is the 'first stepping stone', and accept an unpaid role that does little to help them build their board skills and expertise.

In the first example they spend months and years learning complex information without any context and in the latter they spend months and years volunteering for a local cause, making a difference to society, but not gaining much value in terms of enhancing their board skill set or positioning themselves for great roles.

In far too many instances executives do both and waste a lot of time and/or money.

No 2: They don't take a big enough first step...

They don’t plan their board career - they jump into the first role that opens up and fumble their way along from that role to the next.

Some executives get 'lucky breaks' and win great board roles, but the vast majority don’t achieve what they are capable of achieving and feel uninspired or challenged because they settle for doing entry level board work or work they are not aligned to.

They use very small stepping stones instead of taking the leap they are equipped for.

Many give up much too soon because of the frustrations of unfulfilling work (roles beneath them or not aligned to their purpose) and/or failing to scale.

No 3: They take the wrong step...

To take the right step, you have to be willing to turn down the roles that are not right for you. Often, executives are too eager to launch their board careers and they jump on the first opportunity with little thought to whether they can add value and whether they can progress their board career in this opportunity.

You have to know when to say "No". There is too much at stake to take a gamble on this. Naturally you want to ensure the business is financially sound and not facing any major challenges - but you need to dig a lot deeper than this.

Much deeper.

You can't be blinded by the flattery of being offered a role. You can't figure this out with your ego in the way. Your emotional brain is not equipped to work through this. You need your due diligence checklist (or your "Hell No's" as we call them in my Board Stars community) in your hot little hands before you even start search for a board role.

Your 'Due Diligence Checklist' needs to cover a lot of ground (purpose, people, values, resources, risks, compliance, culture, strategy......) and it needs to be created using the logical rational side of your brain.

Your due diligence starts up front - before you even apply for a role. And it runs through the entire board selection and appointment process.

When you do this well, you don't accept the board roles that are not right for you. The wrong role will drain your energy and it won't be your best self that shows up at board meetings.

Here's to your board success!

About Sally:

Sally Parrish is the founder of the Board Coaching Institute, creator of the Board Success System?and author of Amazon Best Seller "The Essential Field Guide for Company Directors".

This article is based on an extract from my ebook the 'Fast Start Guide' from my Board Success System. Download your free copy at https://boardsuccesssystem.com.au/fast-start-guide.

Are you ready to launch your board career but not sure what steps to take? Get in touch and see if you qualify for a complimentary Impact Call to figure out your strategy and plan your first steps.

https://www.boardcoachinginstitute.com.au/

https://www.dhirubhai.net/in/sallyparrish/

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To order your copy of 'The Essential Field Guide for Company Directors', please visit https://boardsuccesssystem.com.au/book-order-page