Board Shorts Podcast

Imagine being in a new city, in a new country, where you don't know anyone and having to build your professional and personal network from a completely zero base. This is what Jerry Kleeman agreed to do over 20 years ago when he moved from the US to Adelaide, Australia to take on a senior role in a global company. He is now considered by many people to be the person who knows everyone. And his ongoing networking activities continue to return value for him, his clients, and others in his network.

Networking often instills dread in many of us; so I wanted to bring Jerry onto the show, sharing his somewhat extreme network building story to encourage you to embrace network building activities (not just meeting new people at events). Unlike Jerry, you already likely know many people – this is your existing network and is a great place to start becoming intentional with when it comes to progressing your board goals. From there, you can start to work outwards, building an intentional, valuable network who will go to bat for you when it comes to board opportunities.

Find the show notes and Networking for Board Success workbook here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/the-art-of-networking-with-jerry-kleeman-ep-29/

How do you succeed as a not-for-profit board member? How can you effectively leverage not-for-profit board roles? I'm answering these questions from a listener, covering the span of your board journey: considerations before you join a board, what to do once you're on a board, and how to transition to your next board.

Check out the show notes for this episode here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/succeeding-and-leveraging-a-nfp-board-role

When you meet someone new, how do you answer the question 'what do you do?' It's a simple question that strikes fear into most people. There is actually a way to answer this question that enables you to start a potentially valuable conversation. Your answer should be framed in what I call your 'Unique Value Proposition'. It's something that I work on with every aspiring board member. Knowing your Unique Value Proposition is a key that unlocks opportunities for you in the boardroom AND in other contexts – such as your professional life.

My conversation with Joanna – a Potentialist, Adventurer & Aspiring Fairy Godmother* - will show you why and how to tell stories about yourself that demonstrate just how awesome you are. This is something that – after listening to this conversation – you may want to see in action.

That's why I have shared a link in the show notes to a YouTube video of Joanna doing this live with an audience participant: https://youtu.be/gllpAOaYCjM It's so powerful.

Find the full show notes here: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/mastering-your-unique-value-proposition-with-joanna-bloor-ep-27/

There is no shortage of corporate misconduct in the most senior ranks of some of the largest organisations in Australia. From allegations of sexual harassment to reports of bullying at the highest levels of organisations, boards are having to govern and lead through significant human relations crises that are having major external impacts.

Board expert Julie Garland McLellan returns to the podcast to share her expertise and advice on how boards can govern and lead well through a human relations crisis. It's a robust conversation that traverses the most significant and current corporate misconduct cases happening in Australia right now.

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/governing-well-in-a-human-relations-crisis-with-julie-garland-mclellan-ep-26/

At the beginning of this year - 2020 - I went back to school to study a Master of Business Law. Of course, I was expecting to learn a lot about law, but university - particularly my first semester back at university in about 8 years - actually ended up being a mirror. It highlighted parts of my personality, temperament, and working style. I was TOTALLY NOT expecting that. But rather than fight it, I decided to use it and grow from it.

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/board-shorts-podcast-learning-beyond-learning-ep-25/

I'm not sure if you've felt it, but I've been feeling and noticing this mood or appetite, or even both, for a more human-side to businesses and boards. I think the global pandemic has had an interesting effect on our psyche; in a strange way, being physically distanced from each other has made us recognise and appreciate the human connections that we do have when we come together in person. Particularly as boards have shifted to virtual board meetings, the value of what I call the human element in the boardroom and amongst the board itself, which was previously taken for granted, is being recognised as something that is of value to a board, its members, and the organisation as a whole. Working well as a group of humans takes investment and intention.

My conversation with Bobby Herrera takes us on a journey from how our personal struggles influence our leadership and support the organisation, how trust builds value and one must proceed the other, and how bringing vulnerability into the boardroom can enhance your and the board's performance. As you listen, I encourage you to reflect on your style of leadership, both inside and outside the boardroom, and how you can leverage the gift of struggle.

Find out about Bobby: https://bobby-herrera.com

Connect with Bobby on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobby-herrera-5781821/

Purchase The Gift of Struggle: https://bobby-herrera.com/books/

Watch Bobby's 'Bus Story': https://youtu.be/CYLHHg9A9Cs

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/the-gift-of-struggle-with-bobby-herrera-ep-23/

The conversation about board diversity generally starts and stops at gender balance. That's been a wonderful place to start; however, we both recognise that diversity is much more diverse than just gender.

This conversation that I had with Amy Bottoms, a Principal of Catalyst Advisors in Seattle, Washington, covered the pros and cons of legislating for gender balance on boards, whether people are still interested in board diversity beyond gender balance, simple ways that a board can start creating a diverse cohort, how do the best boards build, maintain, and leverage diversity around their table; and how diverse candidates can position themselves to get on a board.

Amy brings 25 years of experience building board of directors and executive leadership teams for innovative life sciences companies. Prior to joining Catalyst Advisors, she was an Engagement Manager at a leading global executive search firm, where she specialised in recruiting board directors, general management executives and senior commercial and technical leaders across the biopharma, healthcare IT, medical technology and healthcare services sectors. Amy began her career at Microsoft as a Corporate Researcher before entering the executive search industry in 1996 as a Research Associate.

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/creating-leveraging-diversity-in-the-boardroom-with-amy-bottoms-ep-23/

We are ALL in the situation where we are learning to lead through a global pandemic and deep and sudden economic crisis. There is no playbook for us as board members to follow; however, there are likely better ways for us to lead through this current situation and for us, as board members, to continue to add value to our boards. To understand what the best boards and best board members are doing now, I reached out to Julie Garland-McLellan.

Julie and I talk about:

:: What the best boards are doing right now; what's on their agenda; and how they're spending their time.

:: What boards can do to support the organisation in the short to medium term future.

:: What's on their strategy agenda, and how boards can start looking forward to recovery/what's next and taking advantage of opportunities that are available.

:: Clarifying the short-term changes to insolvent trading liabilities for directors.

:: And other interesting observations that Julie has made as she supports boards through the COVID crisis.

Resources Julie mentions during our conversation:

:: Anti-Fragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb: https://www.bookdepository.com/Antifragile-Nassim-Nicholas-Taleb/9780141038223?ref=grid-view&qid=1587363253180&sr=1-15

:: The Cost of Running Boards [yes, even volunteer boards]: https://www.mclellan.com.au/res/files/report-on-cost-of-running-boards.pdf

Find the full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/how-the-best-boards-are-leading-through-covid-19-with-julie-garland-mclellan-ep-22/

The key to getting better answers to help solve problems or seize opportunities is to ask better questions. Genuine curiosity is a cornerstone attribute of effective board members and effective boards. But how do we develop our questioning muscle? What makes a great question? What stops us from asking questions? And where do you start when faced with big issues in the boardroom?

I sat down with question-asking expert Greg Bustin earlier this year at the international Vistage Chair conference in San Diego to pick his brain about how us as board members can develop and ask better questions in the boardroom.

Using Greg's book 'That's a Great Question' as a conversation starting point, Greg and I talked about:

• What makes a great question.
• What words to avoid when asking questions.
• What is stopping us from asking questions.
• The value in slowing down.
• Why how you ask a question is just as important as what you ask.
• Five questions every organisation should be asking.
• Where to start with big decisions in the boardroom.
• And a brief history of the question mark.

Check out the show notes to download the question grid and connect with Greg: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/category/board-shorts-podcast/

As board members, we open ourselves up to risk - financial and otherwise. But how do you begin to get your head around exactly what this risk is and how deep it can reach into your and your family's lives?

I look to answer that question, sent in by a listener, who wanted to understand the financial risk she (and by default her family) might be taking on if she accepts a board position. She also wanted to know what the risks are of being sued, and if it's worth taking out insurance to cover the risks of being on a board?

Please note: all information in this - and other episodes of the Board Shorts Podcast - is general in nature. You should seek advice from appropriately qualified specialists to address your specific circumstance.

Full show notes: https://getonboardaustralia.com.au/board-shorts-podcast-the-financial-risks-of-being-on-a-board-ep-20/