Board Shorts Podcast

The board-CEO relationship is one that requires ongoing work to maintain optimal dynamics and desired outcomes. There are two perspectives to consider regarding where problems may originate. But, like with any relationship, 'it takes two to tango', so each side shares equal responsibility in keeping the board–CEO relationship firing on all cylinders. I share 14 of the main root causes of where the...

I've invited a very special guest back to the podcast for this conversation; my husband Jerry Kleeman. Jerry is uniquely qualified to talk on this episode's topic; he works extensively with CEOs (both business owners and hired guns), many of whom have a board to which they report. Often, Jerry helps his CEO clients work with and manage their Board, and in particular, their board Chair. Jerry share...

A question that I am frequently asked by business owners and leaders is how do I put a board together? Of course, I have some recommendations about this; however, sometimes it pays to have an expert advisor – someone who literally wrote the book on it – to give a considered and comprehensive answer to this question. And this is a conversation not only for business owners looking to build their boa...

How do you write a board resume? Where do you start? What information do you put into it? I answer all of these questions for you and break down the board resume structure to give you some insights into the process, what boards are looking for and expecting from your resume, and small tweaks that can make a big difference and help you stand out from the crowd. This information will help you feel a...

Steve Bowman and I answer a series of questions submitted by the BoardPro community as part of a recent webinar that we participated in (find the replay here: https://www.boardpro.com/resource-centre/webinars/qa-everything-governance) . Submit your question for a future Board Shorts Podcast episode: https://bit.ly/BoardShortsQuestion Questions (06:02 - Ateel) What is the fine line [for the Board g...

Structural and personal issues culminate to create a demand problem on boards for diverse candidates. Board diversity – or lack of board diversity – is not a supply problem. It's a demand problem. More programs targeted at "fixing" diverse cohorts are not going to increase demand to meet the rate of supply. Actions need to be taken by boards to unlock demand to pull diverse candidates into the sys...

I frequently receive comments from Board Talk community members asking for help on how they can find their voice in the boardroom and build powerful boardroom presence. Here is what people are concerned about: "Confidence to speak up with my ideas around the board table. Often if I decide to keep an idea to myself another board member will suggest what I was thinking! Lost opportunity for me." "I...

How do I know what I have to offer a board? What should I include in my board resume? What do boards care about from board candidates? How do I sell myself to boards? I share a process that you can follow to answer these, and similar, questions you have as you embark on your board journey. I explain how to effectively research and unearth the common/universal attributes desired from all board cand...

Professor Miranda Brawn shares her work on The Brawn Review: Boardroom Sustainability, Inclusion and Corporate Governance, and The Miranda Brawn Diversity Leadership Foundation, along with the outcomes she is working towards through each of these initiatives. Our conversation spans diversity, sustainability, and inclusion, particularly as it applies to the boardroom; the role that boards play in i...

If you're on a board, there's a very high likelihood that you have had many discussions about your organisation's policies and procedures. And rightly so, they are the board's remote control throughout the organisation, helping to ensure that things are done in the way that the board considers appropriate and, in some instances, necessary. Creating, checking, updating, and approving policies and p...

Sabrina Walker Hernandez, is a nonprofit expert from Texas, USA. Sabrina has a well-established track record - forged over 25 years - of working in and with many profit-for-purpose organisations, as a CEO, as a board member, and as a consultant, coach, and facilitator. Sabrina is the guru of helping nonprofits and small businesses build relationships that increase revenue. And one of those key rel...

I'm joined by Patton McDowell, a non-profit expert and leadership coach. Our conversation traverses many elements of not-for-profit / nonprofit leadership, focusing on boards and board members. We tackle the issue of how to get the most out of your board members, and how a not-for-profit (NFP) board can go from well-intentioned to high-performing. Patton also shares his views on joining a NFP boar...

I want to get on a board! That's great. Now it's time to ask yourself two questions: "What's driving me to join a board?" and "Do I really know what I'm getting myself into?" Y our answers to those questions will provide you with important information that will help you to decide whether you want to continue on your board journey, and, if you do want to continue, to have some clarity that will hel...

Whether we're conscious of it or not, people are judging and perceiving us all the time. If we're not intentional about the image we're portraying, we will likely send the wrong messages about ourselves. This conversation with Rebecca Allen delves into this and connects intention with behaviours to ensure your personal brand (the stories that you and others tell about you) is sending the messages...

A doyenne of Adelaide boardrooms, Carolyn Mitchell generously shares insights from her 17-year board career in the latest Boardroom Insider of the Month episode of the Board Shorts Podcast. This rich conversation traverses Carolyn's board beginnings, her observations of what makes a great board member, how to avoid some of the traps of board service, and how to best deliver value via the boardroom...

Wondering what a board recruiter wants you to know about board recruitment? I'm sharing some insights from my recent conversation with a board recruiter to help you on your board journey. Essential reminders on: Why you need to treat everyone as a potential referee. How and why to nurture your network. Why you need to beware of some board recruiters. Your resume structure and content. Full show no...

Over many years of helping many phenomenal aspiring board members develop a compelling board resume, I have noticed that there are some common mistakes people make when preparing a board resume. These mistakes are nearly universal and are easily fixed with a change in perspective or approach, and in sweating the 'small stuff' that can make a big impact on whether your resume stays off the 'no' pil...

Imposter syndrome. Confusion. Overwhelm. And many a faux pas. All of these things I have experienced on new boards. Unfortunately, more than once over my 13-year board career. Every board is different and has its own set of spoken and unspoken rules. What works on one board, may not work on another. I've learnt this the "more challenging" way. Starting on a new board is going to be a time when you...

Starting on a new board (whether it's your very first, or your fifth) is equal parts exhilarating and daunting. You want to know what you should be doing, but you don't know enough about this board and this organisation to know what it is that you need to be doing! It's not great to feel out of control like this (particularly for type-A personalities like me!). I've sat with this feeling many time...

As Chair of Regional Development Australia Murraylands and Riverland, and CFO of Bowhill Engineering, Jodie Hawkes relishes in the opportunities to lead people. Whether it's in the boardroom, in the factory, or across a regional community, Jodie is focused with determination to ensure that goals and objectives are met while building high-performance individuals, world-class organisations, and resi...

How do I get on a board? Where do I start? If you're starting out your board journey, these questions are probably going through your mind. I have a couple of answers to those questions along with some important guidance, centred around the analogy of going on a journey. This podcast episode will help you to embark on your board career in a way that enables a successful voyage into the boardroom....

ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) is a growing area of focus for boards and organisations. Driven by investors seeking win-win-win outcomes for themselves, the organisation, and its broader community and environment, ESG is an area of business activity with increasing expectations and requirements for disclosure. Inspired from my recent assignment into Australia's major banks' ESG activi...

To be continually successful into the future, we need to constantly work on maintaining relevance (what we can refer to as 'futureproofing' ourselves). It's difficult to know precisely what will be needed in the future; however, there are some rules (developed by tech journalist Kevin Roose) that give us a human-centred framework about how we can futureproof ourselves (and our organisations). I ex...

If you're ready to find that next board role, firstly, I encourage you to work through the steps I've laid out in episodes 44 and 45. This process that I developed (and have encapsulated in the self-paced course Break into the Boardroom) works for aspiring board members of any level: first board role or fifth board role, paid or unpaid. There are few additional recommendations that I have for you...

Creating and executing an intentional networking strategy that is natural and isn't wholly reliant on you having to meet people face-to-face, may be what it takes to reboot your board search strategy. I also want you to not have to rely solely on responding to board advertisements as your primary tactic to securing a board seat. It's certainly one way to get into the boardroom but is something to...