Many board candidates are attending high-level corporate governance conferences and educational events. They meet other directors and have the chance to develop relationships that may lead to being considered for a future board seat. The best way to connect with professionals in this audience is to give them a very good reason. If you fail to specifically state your value … [Read more...]
When is a Lead Director Really Independent?
In a recent conversation with a director who has held the lead director position in a number of public companies, the question arose---when is a lead director really independent? The director I was speaking with said a major problem on many boards is that a director is often reluctant to raise an issue, or make a strong comment, if he/she knows the chairman will not be … [Read more...]
When Emotions Run Strong in the Boardroom
There is a time when emotions run high in the boardroom. You “know” you are “right.” You “know” you are the one with the “truest” position. You are also on the road to gridlock. To be more effective, the goal is to alter your emotional tone, listen, and not attack. Some call this emotional intelligence; some call it truth-seeking habits; and others just plain old respect. … [Read more...]
3 Questions to Ask to Reduce Hidden Bias in Board Dialogue
Every board member, like every other person, has hidden biases. They might include weighing older director voices more than those of younger members, or vice versa. Board leaders, such as holding a board or committee chair position, have an important role. They must identify whether unconscious bias has crept into their thought processes and the board’s … [Read more...]
3 Steps to Get a Board Seat in 2014
If you want to get a board seat in 2014, then there are three key areas of focus that you need to prioritize in order to make it happen. Take these steps to position yourself as a viable director candidate: 1. Pay Attention to Your Self-signals Do you have a negative or positive voice that speaks to you as you progress toward your goal this year? Are you overstated or … [Read more...]
10 Hot Topics that Mattered to Women in Business in 2013
What were the hot topics of 2013 for women in business? Looking back at the Women on Business archives from the past 12 months, a few topics take the lead: leadership, the business gender gap (including equal pay, the glass ceiling, and so on), and entrepreneurship. Following are some of the most popular articles published on Women on Business by both contributors and … [Read more...]
Ch..Ch..Changes
I know that I’ve spoken of this before and I hate that I am writing about it again, but if I just had this situation chances are that many of my readers are struggling with something similar as well. I have a colleague that I worked with and the relationship crashed and burned. To me it was a part of business, while we did not work well together I didn’t see it as anything … [Read more...]
Discover Your Own Potential and Play to Your Strengths for Leadership Success
Want to learn how to discover your own potential? Would you like to discover your inherent strengths so you become a better leader and drive the results you want and need personally and professionally? If you answered "yes" to those questions, then you're in luck because leadership expert Irene Becker of Just Coach It spent an hour sharing her insights with Deb Scott of The … [Read more...]
Why Consultants Suck
I know what you’re thinking…I’m a consultant so either this is a self-loathing mea culpa or I have a point. Bear with me because I do in fact have a point. The thing about consultants is that we generally are really skilled at something, that’s why we’re consultants. But we are workers, fixers, problem solvers. We aren’t business owners and that is something that I have come up … [Read more...]
14-Point Roadmap to Improve Boardroom Diversity and Get More Women on Boards
Only one in five corporate board members in the S&P 100 are women and just 15.6% of all board seats in the United States are held by women. In other words, there is very little diversity in corporate board rooms. Today, WomenCorporateDirectors and the WomenCorporateDirectors Global Institute released a 14-point roadmap to improve diversity in corporate boardrooms. These … [Read more...]