On an average we get around 10 calls from senior executives if any of the companies we advise are looking for some board members who can add value to the governance and fiduciary duties of a board. There are also some retired CEOs who desire such roles not just for supplementing income but also for making use of their wisdom for the larger good.
But there are many things you can and must do to make your way into an enterprise board. Let’s say you’re working to gain your first seat on a board of directors, and making the right moves — networking, pulling together a specific board vitae, dropping the word with headhunters, and so on. But unless your profile in major social networking sites such as the LinkedIn is selling you as a board wannabe, you’re missing out a big target.
As we’ve written in the past, board nominating committees and headhunters are just as lazy as the rest of us, so the first thing they do to vet a board prospect is Google them. And what usually comes up first in the search? The LinkedIn page. If that’s going to be your intro to the boardroom gatekeepers, what should your LinkedIn image be selling? Here are some thoughts for those of you with board seat dreams:
Background info
Start with smart LinkedIn fundamentals — your background info. Despite the spam dangers, you want to make it easy for board folks to contact you, so list both a business and personal email address. For the telephone listing, your personal cell number is probably best. And make sure that people can contact you through the LinkedIn messaging app.
For a really pro job, set up a personal LinkedIn website that pitches your career and boardability vitae. Include a link to this in your profile info. Contacts tend to start on LinkedIn, but move offsite quickly. Make sure your profile is listed as “public,” and set your communication/connection preference for everyone — why be on LinkedIn if you limit who gets to connect with you?
Now look at what a visitor sees when clicking your profile. A fully optimised banner and headshot at the top will get you taken seriously from the start. Your company’s logo is an obvious image for the latter and, particularly if it is well known, and it builds your credentials more. The headline for your profile is limited to 220 characters, so make every word count. Board, leadership, strategy, audit, finance, P&L, M&A are a few buzzwords here that will catch boardroom eyes, and there are many online guides just for scripting your header.
Know the keywords that describe your board skills and use them liberally. Assume a board recruiter has one second to scan your LinkedIn headline... will it tell the story you want?
The ‘About’ block
Your LinkedIn “About” block goes into more depth... but don’t overload it. Job titles and histories don’t belong here (and please don’t tell us what you’re “passionate” about). Better to not repeat the keywords used in your headline. What did you do in your various governance roles? What specifics (IPOs, turnarounds, succession planning, budgeting, product launches, merger integration, ESG, legal, etc.) were involved? What industries and sectors are in your vitae (including private equity, venture capital, investments, and so on)? P&L, hand’s-on management, company growth? Think about your experience keywords, and deploy them for board-smart search engine optimisation (SEO).
Now that your LinkedIn page supports your board search, keep it active. Search on companies, sectors, and contacts connected to the board role you envision. Follow these, and seek connections to interesting people. Start with supporters, colleagues and mentors you know, folks who you won’t feel awkward reaching out to.
Now, check who are the people in their LinkedIn networks? Do you share a common thread with them (career, school, experience)? Avoid churning out connection requests wholesale — focus on those with shared interests, interested fields and (in this case) holding corporate board roles.
Study the LinkedIn pages of folks who are currently in the career and board roles you’re aiming for. What items do they post? Who are they linked to? What LinkedIn groups do they frequent? You’ll find many valuable models. And look at the keywords they use. Hashtags like #governance, #corpgov, #boardsofdirectors, and #boardeffectiveness are a few to both investigate and use.
No one should visit your website and see a note that you “haven’t posted lately.” Discipline yourself to add regular comments. Try the three-step approach here — first, like or share interesting, career- and board-related items. Next, make intelligent comments on these posts, adding your perspective. Finally, offer your own insights. Build on the credibility of others, and then wing out on your own.
Muneer is co-founder of the non-profit Medici Institute and a mentor of several startups globally. Ralph is global board advisor, coach and publisher