Getting yourself board-ready is a journey where you need to be realistic in your skills, experience and value you bring to a board. You also need to be mindful that it is a very competitive marketplace. There is an over-supply of qualified corporate directors for a limited supply of available corporate board seats. So, how do you start your journey to get board-ready so you can compete for a corporate board seat?  The first step is to ask yourself these 10 questions to determine your readiness for leading and serving on a corporate board. 10 Board-Ready Questions 1. Do you have a minimum of 10 to 15 years of [...]

I grew up in a family of giving; it has always been a part of who I am and what I do. To that end I strive to live by this famous quote:  "We make a Living by what we get, but we make a Life by what we give." (To my dear sons, I hope you give generously and receive graciously!) When reading Adam M. Grant's book, Give and Take, on the topic of giving, I was inspired to explore the social style of giving; how when one gives generously they get far more than what they give.  According to Adam M. Grant there are three styles [...]

Connecting people is an art. Connecting opens up a world of potential opportunity for yourself and others. All of us are connected in some way, but many of us don’t use our networks. Are you a connector? I ask this question as there are a few people that I know who are great connectors and I wonder what makes them unique. According to Malcolm Gladwell in his book Tipping Point there are three types of people, Mavens, Connectors and Salespeople: "Connectors make change happen through people. They galvanize people. They’re natural hubs. That’s just the way they’re oriented to the world. These are people who, every time you [...]

I am often asked what the difference is between mentoring and sponsoring. There seems to be a good deal of confusion between the two since both are centered on asking people to help you advance in your career.  So what is the difference between mentoring and sponsoring? Mentoring is about advising and sponsoring is about acting. In a New York Times op-ed article by Sylvia Ann Hewlett, she explains the difference between sponsors and mentors this way: “Mentors act as a sounding board or a shoulder to cry on, offering advice as needed and support and guidance as requested; they expect very little in return. Sponsors, in contrast, [...]

The concept of mentoring is a 20th century term. Thirty years ago mentoring on a business level didn't even exist. It wasn’t mentioned or promoted as a way to network or learn from people who had the positions that you aspired to.  So what did we did we do before mentoring came in vogue in this highly competitive market place? We chose and emulated people who inspired us to help us reach our goals. My first mentor was father. He inspired my business career and in the last 15 years I’ve had the opportunity to be a mentor and a mentee. Look for a mentor outside of your [...]

On February 11th, I participated as a panellist for the Strategic Capability Network’s ‘New OSC Board Diversity Policy: A Strategic Opportunity for Board-Building’ event. My topic: How can we be agents of change in making diversity a strategic opportunity? With the new OSC rules surrounding board diversity there will be many changes ahead in how corporate boards recruit their new board members. As a corporate director, I believe that this is an opportunity to build stronger boards. Leadership Development A crucial step in making board diversity a strategic opportunity is for HR executives to identify leaders and engage in leadership development. This can be done through supporting executives to [...]