The time to build your board career is now

I recently attended a great AICD session led by Dr Judith MacCormick FAICD in the beautiful new Australian Institute of Company Directors Sydney offices on Finding Board Roles.

It was one of those sessions that stays with you because of the generosity and humility shared by people in the room. Moderated by Dr Judith MacCormick, an exceptional panel of experienced Directors including, Sophie Ray, David Ray, and Graham Putt shared personal experiences and practical guidance for executives considering a board career.

The message from the panel was clear: if you are an executive thinking about a board career, the time to start is now.

Not when you are winding down, not when the big executive role is finished, and not when you suddenly find yourself wondering what comes next after years of leading teams, building businesses, managing risk and delivering results.

A board career is not something you simply step into at retirement because you have had a successful executive career. It is a career shift in its own right. It takes time to build, and it requires intention, relationships, reputation and readiness long before the opportunity appears.

For many executives, board work can feel like a natural extension of leadership. You have spent years setting strategy, shaping culture, leading people, managing complexity and making decisions when the stakes are high and the answers are not obvious. You understand how organisations work, how value is created, how risk emerges, and how performance is enabled or constrained by the systems, relationships and behaviours inside a business.

Board work, however, is different.

The shift from executive to director is a shift from doing to governing, from holding the pen to asking the question, from leading the function to stewarding the whole. It requires a different rhythm, a different lens and a different kind of contribution, and that shift does not happen by accident.

If you’re thinking of a board career, here are my top 5 take aways.

First, let your network know you are open to board positions.

Like anything, board roles are landed through the people you know who talk to the people they know. This is not about being transactional or awkwardly self-promotional; it is about being clear, because people cannot help you if they do not know what you are looking for.

Don’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder, and don’t assume your track record will speak for itself. Sometimes it does, but more often opportunity travels through conversation. Someone mentions your name in a room you are not in. Someone remembers the way you helped a CEO navigate a complex leadership issue. Someone knows a chair looking for expertise in culture, transformation, strategy, leadership or governance.

Be someone’s hero for referring you by making it easy for them to know what you do, what you care about and where you add value.

Second, be proactive.

Research the boards of the top 10 organisations you care about and make a connection. Meet, have a coffee, ask for advice, offer something useful, give as much as you receive and play the long game.

This matters because board careers are long games, built through trust and respect over time. Trust is the essential currency of the boardroom. Without trust, directors cannot engage in robust debate, challenge prevailing views, surface risk or make decisions in the best interests of the organisation.

The best boards are not collections of impressive individuals who happen to sit around the same table. They are teams with a shared purpose, clear principles, constructive dissent and a healthy respect for the different forms of expertise each director brings. They leverage collective capacity to make better decisions than any one individual could make alone.

If you want to serve on boards, start by building the relationships that allow others to experience your judgement, curiosity and character.

Third, have a 2-page board CV ready, but ALWAYS write a customised 1-page cover letter.

A board CV is different to an executive CV. It is not a chronological list of every role you have held or every target you have exceeded. It needs to clearly articulate your governance experience, relevant professional experience and the unique capabilities you bring to the position.

Avoid jargon. Add personality.

Boards are looking for more than experience, they are appointing for judgement. They looking for a human being who will influence the quality of thinking, listening and decision making around the table. Your CV and cover letter should show not only what you have done, but how you think and why you care.

This matters because governance is not a spectator sport. Directors have a responsibility to show up, to prepare, to listen, to challenge respectfully, to ask the question that everyone else is circling around but not quite asking, and to hold the organisation to its purpose, values and strategy when things get complex, noisy or uncertain.

Fourth, use the websites that advertise board roles.

AICD, Women on Boards, Seek.com. Are there others? Please post in the comments. Connect with head-hunters. Register on government websites for committees, such as boards.nsw.gov.au. Put yourself in the spaces where board conversations are happening.

There is no shame in learning the mechanics of the market. Every career has its pathways, gatekeepers, networks and norms. Board careers are no different. The more you understand how roles are advertised, how nominations work, how chairs think about composition, and how boards assess skill gaps, the better prepared you will be to position yourself usefully.

Finally, know your elevator pitch.

Communicate in 25-30 words how you add value as a Director and why you care. Share your passion and enthusiasm.

This is harder than it sounds. Many capable executives struggle to distil their contribution because they have done so much. Clarity matters, though, because if you cannot explain where you add value, it is hard for others to advocate for you.

So….in the spirit of applying what I’ve learned, here it is.

I’m officially open to board roles!

My work lies in the intersections between board and executive performance, aligning strategy, culture and leadership. Why? I care about business performance because when businesses thrive, so do people, their families, and their communities.

So, if you are an executive who has been quietly wondering whether board work might be part of your future, consider this your nudge.

Do the course, go to the session, update the CV, have the coffee, tell your network, make the connection and start building your board career now.

The long game only begins when you decide to step onto the field.