At another time, Albert Einstein would have made an outstanding corporate director. I even have his words marked in my current Moleskin notebook:
“I have no special talent. I’m only passionately curious.”
I find that quote delightfully assuring. It suggests to me that my success as a director lies not solely in the knowledge that I bring to a board, but in what I seek to understand. It’s not just a matter of what we know, but how we think.
This is especially true from the perspective of management, a group who masters a business better than any collection of part-time outsiders. Fortunately, a leadership team can value its board for reasons that have nothing to do with hard skills and know-how. We can actually build our credibility with the executives we oversee by demonstrating a tendency to reflect more and assert less.
I have had the pleasure of working with a number of directors who construct bridges connecting the board and management. They often spend their days as working executives and thus empathize with a CEO and her team. All of us have the potential to be these directors whom management values highly.
We can start by exemplifying the seven behaviors I notice in highly valued directors.
1. Be observant
Our perspective is shaped by what we see. We can’t offer helpful inquiry and advice if we haven’t taken the time to really see. When management sees directors make connections between seemingly unrelated details, they find us more engaged and credible. Furthermore, observant people tend to be more analytical and can tell when others are straying from the truth , both critical aspects of the oversight function.
2. Be curious
As I’ve said previously, asking insightful questions is more important than having answers. Boardroom relationships thrive when we are genuinely curious about the day-to-day challenges facing a leadership team. Besides, researchers find that people who exhibit high levels of curiosity experience higher levels of satisfaction than their more disengaged peers. On every one of my boards, I see management team members gravitate to directors who are positively inquisitive.
3. Be authentic
A board cannot effectively oversee an organization based solely on the information management presents. To really get the root of an issue, the board must facilitate a dialogue that uncovers layers and reveals the raw truth.
To that end, management must feel safe being transparent with the board. Directors can take the first step by showing some vulnerability. The director who admits when they feel out of their depth is far more relatable than the one who appears invincible.
4. Be aligned with other directors
Nothing frustrates management more than a dozen directors each asking for their own data dives. You may have a valid question that deserves management attention, but it should dovetail with the entire board’s request coming out of each board meeting.
The in camera portion of each board meeting is an excellent opportunity to seek that alignment. More boards are reserving time for these discussions at the start and end of each meeting, creating opportunities to work without management to ultimately advise them better.
5. Be generous
Our job is to support and celebrate success, not snag a piece of it. As servants of the organization, directors bear no claim on the limelight. Even amid small victories, we have an opportunity to build trust and rapport with executives by acknowledging them and their teams.
6. Be assuring
During challenging times, CEOs appreciate the director who keeps her cool.
Author Seth Godin reminds us that witch hunts make no sense. They are based on a fallacy: “I am irrationally afraid and persecuting this innocent person will make me feel better.” Those in power reframe this as “There’s a good reason I’m afraid and punishing this person will make that reason go away.”
When other directors are pointing fingers, redirect attention to the constructive solutions proposed by management.
7. Be respectful
At a minimum, directors should come to meetings prepared, having read and reflected on the board materials. Given the hours management spends preparing detailed analyses, we owe them that. During the meeting, posing questions in an appreciative tone shows management that we aren’t poised to jump to a “Gotcha!” conclusion.
We don’t enter the boardroom looking to make friends. Our primary responsibility lies in overseeing management and that requires a certain professional distance. Fortunately, there is a huge difference between being well-liked and being valued. The degree of value we offer management depends on our ability to leverage key behaviors as we offer our expertise.
Question: Does the management team of your organization appreciate your contributions to the board? How do you strike a balance between being liked and valued?
