The Magic Matrix: Purposeful Networking to Land Your Board Seat

I was appointed to my first two corporate boards on the same day, less than a year into my search. To the casual observer, I must have discovered a magical Hogwarts Sorting Hat for directors — and I’ve since met with many aspiring board members seeking such wizardry. There were no supernatural forces behind my …

Fearless Girl in the Boardroom: Just Getting There Isn’t Enough

“When I’m sometimes asked when will there be enough [women on the Supreme Court]? and I say, ‘When there are nine,’ people are shocked. But there’d been nine men, and nobody’s ever raised a question about that.” — Ruth Bader Ginsburg With nine as the typical size of a board of directors, Justice Ginsburg might …

Making it Count: Nonprofit Boards as a Means to Corporate Boards

“Serving a nonprofit doesn’t count as real board experience – nonprofit boards only raise money.” I first heard this from an accomplished director who served on multiple Fortune 500 boards. She was supposed to be inspiring participants in Harvard Business School’s Women on Boards program about our prospects for corporate board service. Instead, her comments made my blood …