Level up your leadership skills with board experience

If you’ve ever indulged your inner entrepreneur, or been involved in delivering a sizeable community initiative or event, you’ll know that these experiences demand a unique blend of skills and strategic thinking.

Whether it’s navigating challenges, understanding financials, or driving a project to completion, such ventures call on you to develop abilities that often go beyond what’s typically required in your day-to-day work.

Now, imagine applying that same mix of practical skills and visionary thinking to a boardroom setting. Joining a board offers just this, giving you a platform to influence meaningful change while developing your leadership skills in ways that benefit you and the organisation you’re serving.

The value of being on a board

A board role offers both tangible and intangible rewards – helping you grow personally and professionally by exposing you to new challenges, diverse viewpoints, and higher levels of responsibility.

Becoming a board member can be a great way to:

Take your skills to the next level

Board members gain insights into an organisation’s inner workings, especially in areas such as strategic governance and oversight. This exposure is invaluable for building skills in strategic thinking, corporate governance, and decision making.

It also gives you a broader perspective and improves critical thinking, which enhances your leadership abilities.

Serving on a board has strengthened my skills in many areas – especially in terms of how and where I allocate my time.

Build a network

Joining a board is a powerful way to connect with likeminded individuals and changemakers. By engaging with others at an executive level, you naturally adopt a higher perspective and begin to speak their language. This allows you to forge stronger connections in executive environments, and opens doors to new opportunities.

Amplify your impact

I’m passionate about advancing Australia’s capability in the space sector, which is why I joined the National Committee of the Australian Space Diversity Alliance (ASDA). I’m also committed to supporting men to better serve their communities, which is why I’m on the board of EveryMan and have been a Menslink mentor and volunteer for a number of years.

Serving on a board that aligns with your own interests means you can have a greater degree of impact and influence in these areas. Even if you’re early in your career and unsure what you could contribute, don’t rule out contributing to a board – even if it is by becoming a Board Observer.

At ASDA, we’re currently setting up a Board Observer pilot program with this goal in mind; collaborating with boards in the sector to drive diversity and help aspiring board members gain exposure and overcome limiting beliefs. People often don’t realise how valuable their unique backgrounds and perspectives can be in board settings, and especially once they have board experience too, they’ll have an even greater opportunity for corporate impact!

Building board experience

One of the biggest questions I get asked is: “How do I join a board when I have no board experience?”. This is the catch 22 that so many people face, and it’s a juicy problem I am actively seeking to help solve through the ASDA Board Observer pilot program.

Board observer programs are a great solution, as they allow aspiring board members to attend board meetings as silent observers to:

• Become familiar with board workings and processes
• Build real world board experience
• Demonstrate their commitment

All of these can be leveraged in a board application after the program ends, and while many existing observer programs have long wait lists, it’s definitely worth exploring.

Another option is to volunteer your time and skills with an organisation in an area of interest. This also enables you to demonstrate commitment, prove your competence, and build relationships. Combined, these could increase your chances of a successful application if a board seat opens up in the future.

Keep in mind too that many board appointments themselves are voluntary, so be prepared to do it for free while you grow your experience.

Joining a board

When you finally get a chance to join a board, remember that it’s a definite commitment. Holding a board seat effectively makes you a director, and this comes with legal and financial responsibilities.

Be sure to do your due diligence and dive deeper than what’s readily available online. Ask questions to understand the position of the organisation and the state of the board, and don’t be afraid to put your hand up in meetings. Even if you’re new, you need to be aware of issues that could have implications so you always know the level of risk you’re facing.

Lastly, remember to consider any conflicts of interest between the board and your employer or other paid interests. Being transparent about this at all stages of your board journey will create trust and ensure you get any necessary approvals. 

Getting a seat at the table in an organisation you care about offers a unique opportunity to share your perspective, while allowing you to grow personally and professionally through the people and environment around you.

If the potential to serve on a board excites you, get thinking about the broader problems you want to have a hand in solving and look for ways to get more involved. You never know where it might take you!