Three Career Choices That Will Help Your Board Career | Ep. 140

Are you thinking about a Board career but feel you aren't quite ready to commit the time yet? You don't have to wait until you are ready to apply for roles to start building your Board profile.

In this episode, I discuss how you can leverage your current "professional career" (your day-to-day paid role) to develop the skills, networks, and reputation required to win at the Board game. These three proactive steps will enhance your professional growth today and your Board readiness for the future.

In this episode, I cover:

• 1. Developing Business Acumen: Moving beyond your specific job description to understand how your role helps the organisation achieve its strategic and financial objectives.
• 2. Building Your Financial Proficiency: Four practical ways to get "financially familiar" even without a finance background:
  • Learning accounting basics (the "foundation of the house").
  • Finding a financial mentor or shadowing your organisation's finance team.
  • Asking the right questions during meetings to build comfort.
  • Using "exposure therapy" via your own personal finances.
• 3. Investing in Your Network: The majority of Board roles are found in your network. Now is the time to build meaningful connections before you need them.
• 4. Designing Your Reputation Wake: Being proactive about the story your professional actions tell and how to consistently act in a way that reinforces your credibility.

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• TED Talk: The career advice you probably didn't get – Susan Colantuano shares why business, strategic, and financial acumen are the "missing pieces" for many leaders.
• Harvard Business Review (free to subscribe): How to Improve Your Finance Skills (Even if you Hate Numbers) – simple steps to build your financial understanding.
• Video Guide (scroll to the bottom of the page): Using your personal bank statement to understand organisation financials – A simple way to start your financial literacy journey at home.
• Accounting Basics: I recommend picking up a first-year university accounting textbook to master double-entry bookkeeping and the basic accounting equation. Here's the one (most up-to-date version) I used in my undergrad business degree.

Connect with Get on Board Australia:

• Follow Lisa Cook on LinkedIn: @lisamcook
• Visit the Get on Board Australia Website: Get on Board Australia

"Leadership manifests at every level of the organisation." Even if you're early in your journey, being a leader now ensures you are an attractive Board candidate later.