Impact on the board of directors
LEADERSHIP FACT
Did you know?
42 per cent of leaders say the overall quality of the organisation’s leadership is high.
Source: Global Leadership Forecast18
Self-assessment
Before reading this chapter, do the following quick self-assessment.
How would you rate your ability to create impact on the board of directors in these areas?
Exploring the stakeholder group: understanding your impact on the board of directors
A board is a group who meets regularly to review the performance and strategic progress of the company. The board provides strategic leadership for your organisation and holds leaders in the organisation accountable for the running of it.
Boards are usually made up of independent directors (non-executive directors) and owner and operator directors. Non-executive board members are, typically, seasoned leaders who have an executive role in another organisation or have had. Being a ‘board pro’, .i.e having a number of non-exec director roles as a career, is increasingly becoming a career direction for many senior leaders.
The board needs to be able to separate itself from the everyday aspects of the business and take a helicopter view of the business. Boards come in different shapes and sizes as it depends on the business and needs of that business. No matter what that board looks like, you have to have the ability to impact the board at certain times. And, when that opportunity arises, no matter how frequent or infrequent, you need to be ready.
Having experience at an executive level and having been able to secure an executive or non-executive board role probably means that this person also has plenty of executive presence. Or, as it is sometimes called, ‘gravitas’. Executive presence is a combination of behaviours, skills and style, and sometimes can be described as the ability to command a room (sometimes without saying or doing anything), to make everyone aware that you are someone in charge. We will explore executive presence and its importance, for all leaders, in this chapter.
Why is the board so important?
The board are often more senior than leaders in the organisation, which means that you are leading upwards when you deal with them. However, there is a distinction between the board and the senior leaders we talked about in Chapter 4. Board members are there to steer from a strategic viewpoint, typically not getting involved in the day-to-day operation of the organisation.
You need the board onside if you are proposing a change to your organisation’s focus and operations. Whatever leadership role you are in, you are closer to the reality of the day-to-day running of the business. You will need to be able to present and convey such changes in a cohesive and persuasive way. You need to communicate with the board on their level to be able to get them to hear and see the potential in new or even disruptive ideas. You need to show the potential strategic impact of what you suggest.
Getting heard by the board
We worked with a CEO who wanted to make a big strategic change and who had to work hard to make herself heard by the board. Her learning was that she had to prepare thoroughly to get her own head out of the details and look much more at the bigger picture of the strategic direction set and how what she was proposing might disrupt that direction. In this case, she was looking for a disruption and the kind of preparation she had to make, with scenario planning and market research, was extensive. It paid off, though – the board were convinced that the new strategy was worth pursuing.
What does the board need?
The board needs reassurance that the organisation is run in an efficient and business-viable way. Its members need to feel trust in the leaders of the organisation and that they are carrying out the strategic direction in line with the company vision and values.
The board needs continuous updates from the frontline of the organisation, to stay informed and to be able to make strategic considerations and decisions. Board members, the chairperson in particular, also need to manage their part of the relationship to stakeholders and press, hence the need for transparency into the reality of day-to-day business. In an increasingly digitalised and automated world of digital transformation and artifical intelligence, the board particularly needs to educate itself in these areas, with the help of experts within the organisation.
A high-performing company must ensure the relationship between the board and leadership is complimentary rather than adversarial. This is one of the most important relationships within a company, so make sure it is well managed. Think about your role in this when you are interacting with and impacting the board.
It is easy to get confused with the difference between governance and leadership. The board is in charge of governance of a company that seeks to ensure the smooth running of a business by making accountability and oversight the core of their workings. Governance also ensures that the business has a future-facing strategic plan. So, when you impact a board, you have to stay in this future-facing strategic mindset space yourself.
This is where leadership comes in. Executive and operative leaders take the strategic plan and implement it into the everyday operations of the company. Both governance and leadership roles are vital and totally complement each other.
A story of impact: a seat at the table
When we were working with an executive director who was struggling in the board room, we talked to her about what she was thinking during her interventions in that boardroom. To start with, she did not see herself as having a seat at the table, quite literally. There were never enough seats for everyone, so she ended up being at a seat at the side of the table, even away from the main board table.
She had to take more responsibility for her positioning in this important session. We worked with her to really work through where she wanted to position herself in the room, who she sat next to, who she sat opposite and who she needed to gain eye contact with to influence more. All of this meant she was more intentional with her role in the boardroom. She arrived early, sat in the right space at the table, thinking carefully about who she was next to and where she needed to be. She prepared more for ‘how’ she was going to say what she wanted to say as well as ‘what’ she wanted to say. This made her feel more ‘at the table’ and more able to present her thoughts and views in a powerful way. It helped her to integrate into the board and have more of a voice to be listened to, resulting in her getting feedback to say she was having a bigger impact on the board.
Executive presence as an impact tool
Effective executive presence can look different in different leaders. Some exude it, regardless of what position they have. So what is it? How would you describe it? And how do you get it and develop it, if it is not already there?
Exuding executive presence
We were recently in a situation with 50 leaders in a room where a senior leader was joining us, whom we had not previously met. As soon as she entered the room, we could tell it was her by the way she strode in, confidently, her eyes were scanning the room, smiling, nodding and acknowledging people’s presence, indicating that she had seen them and would get to them.
She moved easily to her seat and started a conversation with the people at that table; interested, engaged. The way people reacted when she arrived confirmed who she was to us. They turned their attention towards her, almost straightening their posture in their chairs and clearly signalling that they knew she was there. Some were even getting up and walking up to her, extending a hand, hence demanding her attention. Others sat back, but their radar was still on with regard to where she was. She became the focus of attention, whether she wanted it or not.
Even if she had not had executive presence, she would have attracted their attention because of her position. There is always positional presence, dictated by the seniority of the role, but executive presence is about more than a title and hierarchy.
We are talking here about effective executive presence, needed to build relationships and long-term success. Many of us may have experienced not such positive executive presence, where leaders have used their position of power to dominate, instil fear and influence in a manipulative and negative way. In the story above, the senior leader could have had a very different response from people if she had stormed into the room, on her phone, still talking, acting superior and only wanting to talk to the more senior people, for example. It would have made people feel unimportant, not respected and not appreciated. Back in the workplace, this would lead to you not wanting to go the extra mile for that leader, so productivity would be negatively affected. There would, arguably, have been some kind of executive presence but not of the kind that drives trust and sustainable collaborative followership. There is nothing endearing about dictatorial leadership.
So, when you are in a position to influence a board or a senior leadership team, then you have to work on your own traits and behaviours. Spend just as much time on ‘how’ you need to be as well as ‘what’ you need to do.
Having executive presence and gravitas becomes the key factor to use in order to influence more and more effectively. Here are a number of traits and behaviours that often are experienced with executive presence and gravitas. Review them and reflect on how consistently you display these today and which ones you need to be more intentional about. To get the most out of this, be really honest with yourself. No one does these things perfectly, everyone will have aspects they can improve on. As you reflect on the traits and behaviours, put them into a specific, regular or particularly important context so that the assessment becomes as relevant as possible.
The Executive Presence Sweet Spot™
Communicating and coaching
How did you do?
Whatever the results, that is just your own self-assessment. It is a good start and, to get a more complete picture, you may need to validate it with others. What are they experiencing? Ask for feedback, particularly if there are areas where you are unsure about how consistently you embody those specific traits or behaviours. Build a solid understanding of these areas of impact so you can make the most of them.
Once you have done that, identity which of these five areas you want to work on to increase your executive presence. Then apply the relevant tools below.
Solutions and tools
Here are some practical solutions and tools for increasing your executive presence and, therefore, having a positive impact on the board and others you need to influence with your presence.
1. Demonstrating confidence
Confidence comes from within. You need to feel it to be able to demonstrate it. Here are three steps to building that confidence so it shows.
- Set time aside to review weekly or monthly what you have achieved, how far you have come. It is easy to forget unless you stop and take stock and take it onboard as a feeling, cementing the experience in your body. What wins have you had? What relationships have you built? What milestones have you completed? Who will you celebrate with? Who do you need to thank?
- Take control of your physical appearance: your attire, your personal grooming. Consider who your audience is and dress in keeping with the situation and setting. All of this adds up to your visual presence.
- Choose your power stance and where you choose to sit or stand in the room. Claim your space by being powerfully present. Consider your posture, your facial expressions and gestures. Are you looking people in the eyes or looking away? Is your back straight and head high? Is your voice clear and strong?
2. Inspiring and relating
Focusing on the problem
Samuel was asked to attend the monthly senior leadership meeting to give an update on the digitalisation project and the progress that the IT department had been making. Samuel started by telling everyone what was going wrong with the project, why it had gone wrong and whose fault it was.
He would be asked often to attend these meetings to represent his department and he would not say anything unless he saw an issue or had a challenge. JR was getting tired of this and decided to raise this with Samuel’s boss, Stephen. Because Samuel spoke only when there was a problem or issue, the team were starting to think that Samuel was the problem. This caused his reputation to suffer and the senior leader stopped asking him for his input.
The more senior you become, the more you look for what is wrong, to resolve major issues. You are often a problem solver, which means you see the problem. This means often you are looking at the critical flaws of something. You need also to reinforce and increase the positives and get people focused on the opportunities for innovation and growth. You need to inspire people to see future possibilities and create solutions for it.
- To inspire hope, look for what can go right (not what can go wrong). De Bono’s Thinking Hats19 is a great tool to use here. It is a process aimed at forcing people to consider an idea from various different angles, to get to as much information as possible before making a decision. The Yellow Hat in particular stands for brightness and optimism and, when ‘wearing’ it, you think only of all the good things something might bring, all the opportunities it could create.
- Show people something of your authentic self. Decide what you want to share about yourself to others today, to make people connect with the person that is you. Choose things that convey something personal about you, such as a hobby, your family, where you live and why you live there, etc.
- Decide what you could ask others to get to know them better. Choose things to which you are genuinely interested in hearing the answer. How about: What made you choose this particular career path? What do you enjoy the most about your job? What is your big interest or hobby?
3. Communicating and coaching
Reaching other people through communication is something we do every day. The ability to convey a message in such a way that the other party takes it in the way it was intended is a skill that can be practised and perfected. This is also what coaching is all about: encouraging someone to reflect on feedback and results and grow and develop:
- Ask great questions. Great leaders ask really smart questions – they do not always give the answers. They realise that the art of asking questions is crucial in creating engaged team members. Think about it – when someone asks you a question and they are being genuinely interested and listening – how great does that feel! It makes you feel seen and important, it makes you want to get involved. It also makes you learn, as it gets you to explore and think of potential answers.
- A leader definitely does not need to have all the answers, she/he just needs to have really smart questions. In fact, it can be easy to give the answer. It is more challenging to think of a smart question that allows the other person to think about the answer and for the leader to think about how the answer will get the person thinking differently. Here are some of our top tips to consider
- What is the purpose of the questioning? This is important so that you can target your questions at that purpose.
- Open or closed questions? Open questions gather more information, but there are times when a quick yes or no is all you need or have time for – and then a closed question is the best option.
- Use softening phrases. Posing too many questions can sound like an interrogation, so think about how you can best frame the question to make it interesting for the other person to answer it. Here are some examples of softening phrases to start your question sentence with: I’m curious … ; I’m really interested in your thoughts on … ; Tell me more about …
Ask the question (with softening phrases, if relevant). Here are some examples of great open questions: What do you think we should do next? What would you recommend?
If you could do anything, what would you do?
Where could we find that information, do you think?
- The most important thing – listen. Do not think about how you will respond to what is being said – just listen. It is amazing to see what happens when we fully listen to other people.
- Thank them. Whomever you have talked to, whatever the subject – thank them. Make sure they know that you really appreciate their input. Do this in an authentic way.
- Think about how to make the most of the insight you have had from talking to others. Consider the different views you have been privy to. Do not forget to formally credit those that have given input, if relevant.
- So think about it – who will you be meeting with today, tomorrow or next week? What questions can you prepare to make that meeting interesting and rewarding for you both/all?
- When someone asks you a question, practise stopping yourself from simply giving the answer straight away and, instead, think about how you can create a dialogue that involves the other party in finding the answer.
- Bring the customer to the board. Bring stories of customer experience to the board members – share representative examples and data that paints as complete a picture as possible.
One of our clients started bringing in a customer story to each board meeting; the board enjoyed it so much and gained a lot from it, so our client now brings an employee story too. - Think about how to break through and really claim the attention you want to have when communicating with the board and its members.
A challenging presentation
In a recent board meeting that we were observing, a senior leader from the organisation that reported to the board was asked to join the meeting to present to the board. The presenter walked into the room. First, the board were late and had made him wait outside for 20 minutes. When he came in, he handed out his presentation. The board pounced on the paper. All heads were down and they were reading ahead and already asking questions before he had even started talking. There was no eye contact from the board or apology to him for being so late. They jumped in. After constantly being interrupted and challenged, his time was up. The chairperson said a quick thank you and summed up the next steps. They literally dismissed him and moved on with their agenda.
I followed the presenter out of the room. I asked an extremely open question, ‘How did you find that?’ ‘It was tough. They didn’t even wait for me to present and it was like being in a “den of wolves” with question after question. I was going to get to all of their questions as it was part of my presentation, but they didn’t let me. They started arguing amongst themselves and there wasn’t any acknowledgment for the work I had done. I have worked on this for six months. I feel deflated and I am certainly not in a hurry to go back to the board again. In fact, what value did they add to me as the board? Not a lot.’ With shoulders slouched, he hurried off down the corridor as fast as he could.
In this example, the board definitely had an impact on the presenter and they needed to be aware of that impact. The presenter also had an impact and could have taken more control and influence too. There were good learnings for all.
- Volunteer to be a mentor. If there is a mentoring scheme at work, offer your services to it. Become a generous sharer of your knowledge, skills and experience.
4. Relating to vision and strategy
Start operating at the level you want to be at or that of the person you want to have an impact on. Behave as if you are already at that level. Think bigger, leave your operational and tactical head at the door. Push yourself to be more visionary and strategic.
- Prepare for what you are going to say in a meeting, and how you need to be. What impact are you going to have? What do they need to see and experience that will give a better result?
- Rehearse and practice ahead of important meetings, such as board meetings. Engage a trusted peer and ask them to give feedback on your impact.
- Make a habit of practicing asking strategic questions. Here are some examples you can pick from to get your started:
- For what purpose are we doing that?
- What are going to be the long-term benefits?
- How will the organisation be impacted?
- How will that affect our culture?
- Are we being customer-focused enough? What do our customers want?
- What is the competitive landscape like? What do our competitors say?
- Who are the most important stakeholders and what do they need over time?
5. Showing respect
When shown respect, people respond with respect and a willingness to engage and cooperate. Respect could be like the Golden Rule: ‘treat people as you would want to be treated’, but it could also go a step further, like the Platinum Rule: ‘treat people as they would want to be treated’. The difference lies in not assuming that people are all the same, but that, in reality, each person is unique and that it is respectful to notice and honour those differences.
- Do not waste people’s time. Be someone who makes people feel like they have been given time. Do not be a stealer of time. Add value by getting the focus and level of detail right, staying focused on the subject and managing the time, making it easier for people to do a great job.
The time stealer
Sophia was travelling on business and was currently in Boston. It was 5 am in the morning and she was waiting for a call. The HR leader in Europe was calling to ask for feedback on a member of Sophia’s team. Sophia had only 30 minutes available in her day and this was it. The phone bleeped at the exact time of 5 am. Sophia got straight into the dialogue about the person.
‘The challenge is that he is a “time stealer”,’ Sophia said.
‘What do you mean? Can you explain more?’ said the eager HR leader.
Sophia continued, ‘Well, for example, if I ask him a question, he takes a long time to answer it, as he explains it over and over again. He takes up too much of my time, he steals my time. Whereas, right now, I know you are going to be concise with me and to the point and that means you will give me back 10 minutes of my day by finishing this call early, so you are not stealing my time.’
In this example, Sophia, as a busy senior leader and board member, needs people to be concise and to the point, as she has no time to spare and, when she gets that, she is able to complete her goals for the day.
- Understand the political landscape at the board level – what do they want and need from you? Recognise what operational excellence looks like for them and deliver that – build their trust in you by giving them what they need and ask for.
- Never blame and point a finger at others when things do not go to plan. Look instead for solutions by having good question or dialogue prompters, such as:
Voice of impact
Impact is the feeling and response we create in others.
Here are some examples linked to this chapter of how an action or behaviour impacts people’s feelings and, therefore, how they respond at work. This is how impact sounds and feels. They clearly show that what we do has consequences, good or bad. This gives us a greater understanding that we have the ability to affect our outcomes every moment of every day. This is a big responsibility and, as a leader, it is magnified through the wide sphere of influence that comes with a leadership role.
More solutions: the role your own thoughts, feelings and behaviours play
When wanting to take control over your impact on board members, you first need to impact yourself.
What we think affects how we feel, and how we feel affects how we think.
You can actively replace thoughts and feelings that are counterproductive to positive impact.
It’s estimated20 that a person experiences up to as many as 70,000 thoughts per day.
Many of those thoughts are habits that affect a person’s mindset or outlook and, therefore, the impact they have on the world around them. It starts from within.
On the next page are some examples of negative thoughts, their impact on feelings and how they can be changed to new constructive thoughts to drive more effective impact behaviour.
Adjusting the self-image
Anna was at the monthly board meeting again. Why am I here? she thought to herself. What am I doing here? I don’t do anything when I am here, what value am I adding?
This was a common feeling for Anna to have. We worked with Anna to coach her to understand how to build confidence in these board sessions.
’so, what are you thinking and feeling when you are in these meetings?’ I asked.
Anna started to unravel why she felt this way at the board meeting.
‘Well, when I go into a board meeting, I just think I am the admin assistant in the room. I started as an admin assistant and, yes, I have worked my way to chief executive now and I am on the board, but I still see myself as that admin assistant.’
Anna had worked her way up through the organisation and was still seeing herself as she was many years ago and not as she is today.
‘Well, what do you think the others in the room think when they see you? Do you think they see the admin assistant or the chief executive?’ I probed.
‘I guess they don’t know the admin assistant, but I still see myself as Anna just doing what Anna does,’ she replied.
‘When you were the admin assistant and the chief executive walked in, what did you think and how did you behave?’ I continued.
‘I used to think, “that is the chief executive, so the fact that they are here, in the room and present is enough before they even speak”. So, with that in mind, I guess I have more presence than I think and, with that, comes responsibility too. And that applies to the board as well for me, doesn’t it?’ She smiled, she was asking herself a rhetorical question as the realisation hit.
Summary
The board and its members are your organisation’s strategic advisors. Your ability to interact effectively with them, as/when needed, is a necessity. You need them and they need you. Remind yourself what they need from you – concise, thoughtful intel from the business – and deliver it. Your professional delivery helps them make those strategic decisions and provide guidance for the road ahead.
Research from around the world shows that many boards are non-diverse (with regards to gender, ethnicity, background, age, etc.), many of them being referred to as ‘male, stale and pale’ (The Sunday Times, 2017)21 and ‘male, stale and frail’ (Financial Times, 2016).22 This may mean that boards could be in danger of practising ‘group think’, following the same pattern of thinking and reasoning. A fast-changing world demands continuous challenging of the status quo and even disruption to create relevance for the future and long-term, sustainable success.
Giving Helmut a helping hand
Stephen had a dilemma. His boss Helmut had recently accepted an appointment to the board of directors at another company. This had prompted a more and more prevalent thought – why are there so many older men on boards? He agreed with the sentiment and recognised that the board Helmut was joining was not particularly diverse. They all had similar backgrounds and he realised that they might be at risk of ‘group thinking’, where similar backgrounds and ages meant there may be similarities in values and thought processes.
The company was planning some major digital upgrading and the board needed to step up to the plate and help role model the type of learning culture they would need to be able to achieve that transformation. Stephen realised that he could play a role in this by trying to influence Helmut to see this dilemma and to challenge creative dialogue and new thinking from the start of his board service. As Stephen had got better and better at ’speaking Helmut’s executive language’, he decided to have a word with Helmut and encourage him to bring real value to the board he was joining.
THE EFFECT ON CULTURE
Ultimately, the board are also responsible for the culture they help create. They have to be custodians of the culture. As there can be that natural tension on the board, between the practicalities of guiding the business here and now and for the future, then to influence the board you have to help them see the culture they are creating through their decisions. You can help with the reality of how the culture is and how any big future changes will impact the culture. You can be the reality check for the board, which really adds value. So, reflect on how you can affect the board’s thinking about culture. What impact can you, in turn, help them to have?
