We’ve all heard, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Very few recognize that even knowing the right people is not enough. Instead, who knows you actually drives the opportunities you’re presented with.
4 Strategies to Secure a Corporate Board Seat
Lessons for aspiring directors.
December 14, 2022
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Summary.
To understand how people who are historically underrepresented on corporate boards successfully landed their seats, the author recruited 12 Black female public corporate directors to discuss their career paths and process of being recruited. His conversations revealed that recruiters and boards tend to look for and pre-vet C-suite candidates who resemble current and past directors. This makes it even more critical that candidates from underrepresented backgrounds build a robust and healthy social network filled with individuals who know you — and know what you want to accomplish. He recommends four strategies to accomplish this: 1) Demonstrate your ability to add value; 2) Gain board exposure; 3) Be your own best advocate; and 4) Build and nurture your network.