Ever Consider Joining a Board?

Women at Work

Harvard Business Review

Entrepreneurship, Workplace, Business/management, Business/entrepreneurship, Progress, Resources, Gender, Equality, Business/careers, Women, Hbr, Careers, Management, Business, Harvard, Human

4.8 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 27 November 2023

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Eight women who’ve been on boards share how they landed a seat, gained confidence in the role, and found unexpected personal and professional benefits in the work. We hope their perspectives and advice will encourage you to consider trying it yourself some day. Ellen Zane, who runs a Harvard workshop for women interested in board work, gives further insight based on her deep experience as a director for nonprofits and private and public companies.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Harvard Business School Executive Education develops leaders who make a difference in the world.
0:06.0	In their programs, experience the power of fresh perspectives and connect with a world of new ideas.
0:13.0	Learn more at HBS. Me slash work.
0:17.0	That's HBS.
0:20.0	M.E. slash work. Have you ever thought about joining a board?
0:27.0	Research suggests women's presence improves the decisions these groups make and in turn improves financial performance.
0:35.5	Being on a corporate board gives you a say in how the businesses run, including how it treats
0:40.8	employees and customers.
0:43.0	If you're a senior executive,
0:45.0	experience on a public or private company board
0:48.0	boosts your CEO eligibility,
0:50.0	if that's a goal of yours.
0:52.0	Being on a non-profit board is where many directors get their start or stay.
0:58.0	It's a chance to stretch, your mind, your skills, your network.
1:03.2	It's a way to have an impact on your neighborhood
1:06.2	or your alma mater or your industry.
1:09.3	But maybe you haven't thought about serving
1:11.6	because it sounds like another suck on your time or the benefits aren't clear or you were
1:16.8	waiting for retirement or you just didn't know enough to dive in or no one asked you.
1:23.1	Well let's test those assumptions and fill in some gaps.
1:26.7	Eight women volunteered to tell us how they landed a board seat, gained confidence there, and
1:31.8	grew personally and professionally.
	...

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