Demystifying the Board Selection Process for Non-Traditional Applicants

by Katherine Jafroodi

“The bar for board readiness has never been higher: directors are scrutinized for their ability to understand more complex businesses, demonstrate technical know-how, deliver effective governance, and generate sustainable long-term performance.” – Harvard Business Review

In today’s evolving landscape, board positions are increasingly within reach for non-traditional applicants. However, effectively communicating one’s distinct value proposition, identifying the right cultural fit amongst boards, and building one’s candidate visibility are essential steps in this process.

According to Suzanne Miglucci, NACD Board Director and board readiness coach, boards are increasingly receptive to candidates with unconventional backgrounds and that, while prior executive experience was once a prerequisite for securing a seat, the landscape has evolved. Nowadays, individuals with niche skill sets may not require a C-Suite role on their CV to aspire to a board seat as long as they offer a distinct value proposition and show they can apply their expertise to the company’s present challenges.

Kelli Vukelic, CEO of N2Growth, underscores the importance of non-traditional applicants in shaping the future of boardrooms. Vukelic shares, “The future of boardrooms is bright with diversity, where unconventional voices become catalysts for innovation. Tomorrow’s leaders will not just fill seats; they’ll challenge norms, sparking change and driving growth with unique insights and bold strategies. It’s not just about being board-ready; it’s about being ready to transform the board.”

Next to conventional board skills, like finance and accounting, many sought-after skills can be classified as non-traditional, with their demand experiencing an increase in recent years. For example, Lissa Broom, Director of the Director Diversity Initiative (DDI) at the University of North Carolina School of Law, noticed recurrent requests for skills like strategy development, digital transformation, and environmental affairs in 57 searches that DDI supported last year.

Knowledge and Skill Fit

In 2024, organizations are seeking board-ready candidates with expertise in traditional skills and in more specific subject-matter skills. In addition to strategy development, digital transformation, and environmental affairs, subject-matter skills rising in popularity include tech and consumer backgrounds, cybersecurity, DEI, international experience, and talent acquisition. Candidates with these trending skills sets have a distinct advantage when vying for board positions even short of executive experience.

Still, there is a catch: while your career trajectory showcases your knowledge in these sought-after fields, in a recent talk for DDI Debra Wheatman, Certified Professional Career Coach and President of Careers Done Write, stresses that a board member is not there to do the job, but to advise and that this difference is crucial.

Board selection is not just about a potential director’s expertise, but also their perceived ability to use that expertise to offer valuable and actionable advice to navigate the specific challenges confronting the company. The ability to offer specialized advice within their niche is as much a part of non-traditional applicants’ unique value proposition as their expertise itself.

Cultural Fit

Recent studies highlight the prevalence of limited discussion on board inclusivity and the dominance of strong voices, urging candidates to ensure they find an inclusive culture. Identifying traits of collaborative leadership among board members, such as commitment to inclusion and active listening, can guide candidates in selecting a culturally inclusive board.

But this is not the end of the story. Given the increasing recognition of the importance of interpersonal interactions for organizational effectiveness, companies are taking steps to identify the best combination of personality types and how to recognize them.

Deloitte, for example, devised a system called Business Chemistry and subsequently applied it to board effectiveness. When applied to boards, this system identifies the personality traits and working styles of board members and highlights any gaps within a board’s composition. When explaining the importance of this system, Deloitte states, “Understanding one’s own business personality as well as those of other board members may result in each member interacting more effectively as each becomes aware of the unique characteristics he or she brings to the situation.”

Using high-level personality traits, Deloitte breaks down board members into four working style groups:
Drivers (logical and goal-oriented, they love systemic and quantitative thinking, and are fast decision makers), Pioneers (with a high tolerance for risk they like entertaining possibilities and generating new ideas), Integrators (relationship- and consensus-oriented, they are diplomatic and trusting), Guardians (methodical and reserved they trust what is tried and true).

When these working styles come together, they promote diversity and creativity of thought which can lead to innovative discussions, improved decision-making, and a higher level of success. They capitalize on each other’s strengths and when partnerships across opposite types form, no single personality type dominates the decision-making process – creating a balanced board.

From the point of view of a candidate, understanding one’s own personality type can help outline the specific contribution that they can make in the board dynamic, identify the ideal board fit, and enhance their ability to engage effectively with other board members should they secure a seat.

Deloitte’s free interactive video can help candidates identify their strongest traits and learn how to productively cooperate with other working styles. Alongside this interactive video, Deloitte’s article offers quick tips on navigating interactions with each working type. Many organizations, including the executive search and leadership development firm N2Growth, provide pay for services to assess their own psychological traits and working styles for board candidates and board members.

In addition to focusing on personality-fit, non-traditional applicants should note a board’s inclusivity and openness to diverse perspectives.

Candidate Visibility

With more than 60% of board seats being filled through word of mouth, cultivating and broadening one’s network–and notifying them of your interest in serving on a board–can enhance a candidate’s visibility when a suitable board seat becomes available.

Agnes Burly Scarlan, NxtWork member and President of the Cambridge Group LLC, advises aspiring board members to seek board mentors similar to themselves. By connecting with a similar board mentor, you become a comparable alternative that the mentor can recommend when they are unable to take on a board seat. When a board position becomes available, existing board members often rely on their personal connections to identify potential candidates and these connections are often current, experienced board members. If they do not have the bandwidth or interest to take on the new opportunity, they will suggest alternatives from their own network and that alternative could be you.

Transparency is at the heart of this process: When you connect with current board members at professional events or through industry-specific associations, clearly communicate your board goals and share what makes you a unique, valuable candidate. As is systematicity: NxtWork founder Dominique Shelton Leipzig tracks her “Board Campaign” on a spreadsheet to remember her outreach and to monitor her progress (and you can even borrow her template).

NxtWork’s Meaningful Engagement credo strives to create opportunities for members to signal their interest in board service and to facilitate the connections to make that happen, as do many other similar affinity groups. By joining NxtWork you are expanding your network by combining that with those of fellow members who are as invested as you are in your board success journey.

Resources for Board Readiness

There are many resources available to individuals entering their journey of securing a board position.

For those aspiring to better position themselves to serve on a board, podcasts such as Board Vision and Boardroom Bound provide free insights into topics such as what it means to serve on a board and the problems facing boards today.

There are also board readiness training programs developed to prepare directors and executives to serve on boards. These programs include the Board Leadership Program, NACD Directorship Certification, and Directors’ Consortium.

For those seeking an individualized approach, a director coaching or mentoring program such as that at Future Directors may provide the needed guidance for landing a board position.