Him For Her

As a Clinton Global Initiative commitment maker, I am thrilled to return to the annual meeting this year. I’ll be hosting a Community-Led Roundtable discussion on Monday, Sept. 23 at 2:15 p.m. during #CGI2024. The private sector – and the boards that guide its enterprises – is a critical lever and vital partner in driving meaningful progress. Join me as we discuss board diversity as a catalyst for change. If you’re registered for the meeting, you can register for the roundtable (link in comments).

Board Landscape 101 Jocelyn Mangan, Founder & CEO of Him for Her, demystified best practices to connect talented women ready for board service with board opportunities. (https://www.himforher.org/) Here's what I learned from her TEDx Nashville Cohort Session. Why be a board member? The level of decision making and impact is tremendous. Consider the number of companies that have already touched your day today. Board members learn leadership from a different angle. Research shows that board members often become better operators. Board Landscape 101 (1) We are board qualified if we have enough operating experience to guide a CEO. (2) Boards are an ecosystem. We must demonstrate what we bring to a board across any of 6 Dimensions of Expertise: Functional, Industry, Customer Segment, Business Model, Scaling / Scope of Ownership, and ESG. (3) There are many options to participate on a board, including 4K+ public and 17K+ private companies, non-profit orgs, and early-stage startups. (4) Most board seats are filled through word of mouth. The decision makers are CEOs, investors, and current board members who consider: “Who do we know? What do we need?” This means, we must continue to proactively build and activate networks. The great news is that decision makers want to help. The way we give them a way to help is to remind them of our aspiration to serve on a board, remind them what we bring based on what we have done, and ask them to keep us top of mind for an opportunity. Tips on ways to start the discussion with your manager as part of your Professional Growth Plan. >"I’m really interested in board service. How might I learn this?" >"I heard you are presenting on an area I work in. Can I sit in and listen to what you are saying?" >"Can I meet one or more of our board members?" >"Can we get coffee to learn more about your board experience?"   (5) The board interview process is longer than the executive interview process. One reason is due to predictable terms. Therefore, the need to (back)fill a role is known long in advance and not an urgent ‘need to fill immediately’ exercise. When interviewing, a best practice is to show up as a board member, which means demonstrating informed curiosity.   (6) When evaluating a board opportunity, filter through what is right for you with long range thinking. Consider that a board position may be a 10+ years commitment in the form of formal meetings + daily “breadcrumbs”. Breadcrumbs come in the form of real time events. For example: War breaks out – boards contribute to thinking on whether the company still operates in a country. A competitor got acquired – boards read the news article to understand if/how this impact operations. CMO role is open at the company – board members are asked to help interview candidates.   (7) Board members oversee vs. operate the company. They help open up thinking with big strategy questions and informed curiosity. P.S. Jeremy Snow and Emily Wyer, what a rich TEDx session!

illumyn CEO, Jocelyn Mangan's "Better Operators" podcast is out! Have a listen and hear about how participating in boardrooms can significantly enhance an executive's capabilities and propel their careers forward. Board service provides executives with invaluable insights and experiences that translate into more effective leadership and strategic oversight in their primary roles.

CHROs who support board service for their executives know this already: board service makes them better operators. This article spells out how.

The world’s boardrooms hold immense influence over more than just finance and industry. They shape countless aspects of how we work, how we live, and what our collective future will look like. However, barring some sartorial differences, the members of today’s boardrooms look virtually unchanged from those of 100 years ago.   In this FWA Talk (our take on TED Talks), Crista Bailey of Him For Her explains why it's imperative to broaden the network of voices in the boardroom and outlines actionable steps to achieve gender diversity within the next decade. She offers insights and strategies to drive meaningful change and foster inclusive boardrooms that reflect the diversity of our society.   Secure your seat by July 17th to learn from Crista and other influential leaders who are elevating women in leadership, investing, and allyship.   https://lnkd.in/gJTkzkBg

It was incredibly fun and rewarding to reunite with two of my most favorite former colleagues, Jocelyn Mangan and Ryan Roslansky, to co-host with Ryan a dinner focused on the importance of Board diversity. Jocelyn founded Him For Her many years ago with the idea that Board diversity was critical to the commercial success of both private and public companies. The stats don't lie: Only one in four public company Board directors are women, and among private companies, that number drops to one in seven. Him For Her is squarely focused on bridging the gap between oft-unadvertised board opportunities and talented women who are ready for board service. I have long known Ryan was also a champion of this effort, so I invited him to co-host this dinner with me, and we both furthered our knowledge on this topic through the personal stories from all the guests. The fact that we realized our outfits matched upon arrival was purely coincidental! Thank you too to Lindsay Trout for sponsoring this successful event!

Despite the fact that diverse perspectives and backgrounds can significantly improve problem-solving within a board, and studies have shown that a diverse board leads to increased profitability, the reality is there is still too much sameness in this room.  In the latest Boardroom View, I break down how to change this and what we all need to start doing differently.