I'm joined by Patton McDowell, a non-profit expert and leadership coach. Our conversation traverses many elements of not-for-profit / nonprofit leadership, focusing on boards and board members. We tackle the issue of how to get the most out of your board members, and how a not-for-profit (NFP) board can go from well-intentioned to high-performing.

Patton also shares his views on joining a NFP board from a traditional (for-profit) background, and how to build a dynamic board in a NFP organisation. We close out with some future-casting on what's in store over the next number of years for NFP boards. There is a wealth of information in this conversation for boards beyond NFP sector, so grab a pen and paper and settle in with my conversation with Patton McDowell.

Check out Patton's work: https://www.pattonmcdowell.com/about-us/

Connect with Patton on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattonmcdowell/

Book: Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: https://www.pattonmcdowell.com/book/

Podcast: Your Path to Nonprofit Leadership: https://www.podpage.com/your-path-to-nonprofit-leadership/

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/board-leadership-in-a-not-for-profit-with-patton-mcdowell-ep-58/

I want to get on a board! That's great. Now it's time to ask yourself two questions: "What's driving me to join a board?" and "Do I really know what I'm getting myself into?" Y

our answers to those questions will provide you with important information that will help you to decide whether you want to continue on your board journey, and, if you do want to continue, to have some clarity that will help you make decisions towards achieving your board goals.

Find more information to help you get on to a board, visit https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/category/joining-a-board/

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/so-you-want-to-get-on-a-board-ep-57/

Whether we're conscious of it or not, people are judging and perceiving us all the time. If we're not intentional about the image we're portraying, we will likely send the wrong messages about ourselves.

This conversation with Rebecca Allen delves into this and connects intention with behaviours to ensure your personal brand (the stories that you and others tell about you) is sending the messages you want it to and supports you to achieve your professional and board goals.

Rebecca Allen is a Career Success Coach for women looking to step it up in their careers. For the last 13 years Rebecca has been helping women get promoted, get paid appropriately, and raise their visibility and credibility to get the recognition they deserve.

Connect with Rebecca here:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaallencareercoach/

Podcast: http://www.herambitiouscareerpodcast.com

Get your free resource: The 7 Habits of Female Execs Who Get Promoted by visiting http://www.rebeccasfreegift.com

Get a spot straight into Rebecca's diary, schedule a free 15-minute Career Strategy Call: https://www.register.illuminategrowth.com.au/scheduleyourcall

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/personal-branding-for-the-boardroom-with-rebecca-allen-ep-56/

A doyenne of Adelaide boardrooms, Carolyn Mitchell generously shares insights from her 17-year board career in the latest Boardroom Insider of the Month episode of the Board Shorts Podcast.

This rich conversation traverses Carolyn's board beginnings, her observations of what makes a great board member, how to avoid some of the traps of board service, and how to best deliver value via the boardroom.

View the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/boardroom-insider-of-the-month-with-carolyn-mitchell-ep-55/

Wondering what a board recruiter wants you to know about board recruitment? I'm sharing some insights from my recent conversation with a board recruiter to help you on your board journey.

Essential reminders on:

• Why you need to treat everyone as a potential referee.
• How and why to nurture your network.
• Why you need to beware of some board recruiters.
• Your resume structure and content.

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/insights-from-a-board-recruiter-ep-54

Over many years of helping many phenomenal aspiring board members develop a compelling board resume, I have noticed that there are some common mistakes people make when preparing a board resume.

These mistakes are nearly universal and are easily fixed with a change in perspective or approach, and in sweating the 'small stuff' that can make a big impact on whether your resume stays off the 'no' pile. With a little bit of work, you can take your resume from average to standout.

Here are the top five mistakes that I see in board resumes, and how you can avoid making them with some simple adjustments and tweaks.

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/five-common-board-resume-mistakes-and-how-to-avoid-them-ep-53/

Imposter syndrome. Confusion. Overwhelm. And many a faux pas. All of these things I have experienced on new boards. Unfortunately, more than once over my 13-year board career. Every board is different and has its own set of spoken and unspoken rules. What works on one board, may not work on another. I've learnt this the "more challenging" way.

Starting on a new board is going to be a time when you confront some parts of you that you may not have known existed. The shadow sides of us that work to trip us up in high-stakes situations (like in the boardroom).

As challenging as these are, they are a beautiful learning and growth opportunity. I'm sharing three common experiences that I and other new board members have had, and what I do and recommend myself and others do to work through them (because they're going to happen and there's no avoiding them). I'm even going to share an embarrassing story that still bugs me.

By talking about it, I hope to show that we are all humans (yes, even board members) and that we make mistakes. And that is OK! It's helps to give ourselves and others compassion, grace, and understanding. Remember, we all start green on a new board.

Full Show Notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/lessons-from-my-first-100-days-on-a-new-board-ep-52/

Starting on a new board (whether it's your very first, or your fifth) is equal parts exhilarating and daunting. You want to know what you should be doing, but you don't know enough about this board and this organisation to know what it is that you need to be doing! It's not great to feel out of control like this (particularly for type-A personalities like me!). I've sat with this feeling many times (eight times over the past 13 years to be precise).

To help me navigate those first moments on a new board, I've developed a process to fall back on to

(1) help me feel that I am doing something proactive that will get me to feeling that I am closer to returning value to the board and organisation in a meaningful way, and

(2) helps keep the feelings of overwhelm and panic at bay. And I hope it helps you too.

Full Show Notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/new-board-heres-a-strategy-for-your-first-100-days-ep-51/

As Chair of Regional Development Australia Murraylands and Riverland, and CFO of Bowhill Engineering, Jodie Hawkes relishes in the opportunities to lead people. Whether it's in the boardroom, in the factory, or across a regional community, Jodie is focused with determination to ensure that goals and objectives are met while building high-performance individuals, world-class organisations, and resilient communities, with a deep sense of wellbeing and connection with the world around them.

Jodie shares what motivates her to be involved at the board level, the value she gains from that experience, how she overcame her biggest boardroom challenge, and distils advice for aspiring and new board members from her many years in the boardroom. I also ask Jodie about how she navigates the unique challenges of rural and regional based boards. It's a rich conversation that I hope you enjoy.

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/boardroom-insider-of-the-month-with-jodie-hawkes-ep-50/

How do I get on a board? Where do I start? If you're starting out your board journey, these questions are probably going through your mind. I have a couple of answers to those questions along with some important guidance, centred around the analogy of going on a journey.

This podcast episode will help you to embark on your board career in a way that enables a successful voyage into the boardroom.

View the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/setting-and-calibrating-your-board-goals-ep-49/

Break into the Boardroom course: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/break-boardroom-selfpaced/