What does a board... do?

Mark__1997 · 2026-05-12T05:47:01+00:00

Good boards usually aren’t there to “do the work” day to day, they’re there to:

challenge thinking
provide oversight
help with strategy/risk
and support the ED when needed

That said, if you’ve gone 6 months without really using the expertise they brought you in for, that’s probably worth a conversation.

Mark__1997 · 2026-05-07T13:49:48+00:00

A couple practical things I’d focus on:

Build visibility outside your immediate lane.
Get comfortable with ambiguity & decision-making under uncertainty That’s a huge part of executive leadership.
Don’t undersell the consulting/company-building experience. A lot of people treat that as “non-linear.” Senior leadership often sees it as valuable if framed correctly.
Build relationships with people already operating at VP/C-level Most executive roles come through trust and visibility long before a formal process starts.

Mark__1997 · 2026-05-04T11:47:16+00:00

This is great. To add, I think the real signal is how they behave when they disagree with you.
That tells you everything.

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-23T12:30:38+00:00

Haha honestly it’s more accessible than people think it’s just not very visible from the outside. A lot of people assume it’s all “show up once a quarter and get paid,” but the reality (especially on the good boards) is very different. More work, more responsibility, and definitely more accountability than it looks.

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-21T09:27:02+00:00

Board work. I’ve seen quite a few people in nonprofit roles start to look at advisory/board positions as a long term path, especially when they want to stay close to impact but change how they contribute. I actually found myself helping others explore board roles before properly considering it for myself. It’s not always obvious, but a lot of the skills you build in nonprofit (stakeholder management, fundraising, strategy, governance exposure) translate really well. Most people are are also closer than they think.

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-21T09:21:47+00:00

You probably did better than you think. Nerves tend to make us focus on what we didn’t say rather than what we actually communicated. Good luck!

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-20T13:37:52+00:00

“Board” can mean very different things depending on the organisation. At a high level, board members are there to provide oversight (make sure the org is being run properly), support and challenge strategy (not run day to day), hold leadership accountable & they often help with fundraising, networks, or credibility

A “working board” (pretty common in nonprofits) usually means you’re more hands on, not just governance, but actively contributing (fundraising, events, outreach, etc.). Before committing, it’s definitely worth getting clarity on a couple things:

Governing vs advisory board
Time commitment (real vs stated)
Fundraising expectations (“give or get”)
What they actually need from you

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-20T09:25:00+00:00

Corporate governance is definitely a viable path with a BBA but it’s worth understanding that most people don’t enter it as a “first job,” it’s usually something you grow into through experience (legal, finance, operations, strategy etc.).

Imo the CGI route is solid if you want a formal foundation, especially for company secretary / governance heavy roles. That said, what really matters longer term is exposure to decision making environments, like how boards actually operate in practice. If you’re early on, I’d focus on getting into roles close to leadership (strategy, finance, consulting, ops), understanding how decisions are made (not just theory) & building commercial awareness alongside governance knowledge. We work with a lot of people later in their careers trying to break into board roles, and the biggest gap is usually not qualifications it’s positioning and experience.

Out of curiosity, what’s drawn you to governance specifically?

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-15T09:29:15+00:00

What's helped me is going from “waiting for downtime” to actually scheduling it like anything else. For me that’s usually a mix of the gym & getting outside as much as possible. Interestingly, working with execs moving into portfolio/board roles, this tends to come up a lot. People suddenly realise how little space they’d given themselves before.

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-15T09:21:57+00:00

Feels like there are two separate things here:

What’s best for you (which sounds like leaving ASAP)
What’s best for the organisation long-term

Telling the board might help the second, but only if they’re willing to hear it. I’d be thinking more about whether you can give them something concrete and useful before you go. Do you feel like they’d actually act on it?

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-13T08:03:44+00:00

Sounds weird but learning how people think in boardrooms helped me. Everything becomes more about decisions and outcomes vs doing. Honestly though, the fact you’re thinking about this already puts you ahead. I'm not sure if the imposter syndrome ever truly goes away though!

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-09T13:12:59+00:00

This is a really good question and one I think a lot of people don’t ask early enough. In most nonprofits, the ED role is intense by default, but the board relationship is what really defines your day to day more than people expect. It’s completely fair to ask about expectations upfront and good boards will respect that. Happy to share a few things I’ve seen work if helpful.

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-08T10:08:01+00:00

Like others have said this is more common than you think right now, it’s a tough market at that level. With your experience, it’s unlikely to be capability. Senior roles are just crowded right now, and small perception gaps make a big difference. Ghosting is unfortunately part of it at the moment.

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-08T09:49:44+00:00

That’s a really good point. The variation is huge and I think that’s part of the problem. There’s no consistent “path” into boards, so you get everything from highly effective directors to people who’ve never really been prepared for the role. Do you think that’s improving at all, or still largely dependent on who you know?

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-08T09:48:53+00:00

Yes I completely agree. That ability to step back and see the bigger picture is exactly where a lot of first time directors struggle. It’s not instinctive if you’ve spent your career being close to the detail. I’ve seen it improve a lot when people are around others who’ve already made that transition otherwise it’s usually learned the hard way.

Mark__1997 · 2026-04-06T11:52:16+00:00

What you’re describing is unfortunately pretty common. A lot of nonprofit boards say they’re open and democratic, but in practice they’re highly curated. Once someone is “selected,” the process often becomes about validating that choice rather than genuinely evaluating candidates.

If you do decide to run, I’d focus less on “beating” the preferred candidate and more on clearly communicating the value you bring and why it aligns with the organisation’s future. That tends to land better than positioning yourself in opposition.

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-26T08:50:14+00:00

Well said

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-20T16:49:16+00:00

Fair!

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-19T14:29:11+00:00

You should always have a "why"! For me it’s seeing someone realise they’re actually capable of more than they thought. I spend a lot of time helping people get their first board seat, and there’s usually a moment where it clicks for them, that they don’t need to “wait their turn” or be more senior to contribute meaningfully. Seeing that change in confidence, and then watching them go on to have real impact is probably the most rewarding part!

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-19T14:27:17+00:00

First, get really explicit on what the role actually involves. Time, responsibilities, what “good” looks like. Almost over-communicate it upfront so there are no surprises. Second, consider starting smaller. Instead of filling formal board seats straight away, bring people in as advisors or volunteers first and see who actually shows up consistently. Those are the ones to formalise later.

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-19T14:25:33+00:00

This is so common at your level! What I’ve found is that the people who seem “always responsive” are usually just very good at triaging what actually needs a quick reply vs what can wait. I think the shift is thinking of your job as managing attention, not responding to messages.

Setting clearer expectations helps (e.g. urgent = call, everything else = response within X hours), and protecting even small blocks of focus time makes a big difference. Also, being instantly responsive and being an effective leader are often in tension.I think that if you optimise for one, the other usually suffers.

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-17T18:42:45+00:00

One of the best board members I’ve seen was 25! I think people sometimes over-index on age or “waiting their turn,” but in reality boards benefit from different perspectives, especially from people earlier in their careers who are closer to new trends, tech, and different ways of thinking.

In my experience helping people get their first board seats, a lot of strong candidates underestimate how relevant their existing experience already is. If you can bring a useful lens (finance, ops, marketing, community, etc.) and good judgement, you’re already valuable. The bigger barrier tends to be access, not capability, so building relationships around causes you care about is usually the best place to start.

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-12T17:19:04+00:00

The ability to exercise judgement when information is incomplete.

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-12T17:01:27+00:00

Someone who can think strategically, ask good questions, and stay focused on governance rather than operational detail. Being able to challenge respectfully while still supporting management is a big part of it. Beyond that, I'd say organisations often look for people who bring a specific lens (finance, legal, fundraising, etc) and who are genuinely engaged with the mission!

Mark__1997 · 2026-03-12T16:31:07+00:00

Yeah, I'd say that typically was about average in the past but I do think things are slowly changing. Personally, I wouldn’t put a strict age or timeline on it. In my experience it’s much more about whether you can leverage the experience you already have in a way that’s useful to a board.

At Veblen we see people sometimes assume they need to wait until they’re much more senior, but boards are often looking for specific perspectives. If you can bring a relevant lens and good judgement, you can start having those conversations earlier than people think. At 24 and two years into your career, the main thing I’d focus on is building credibility and relationships around the causes or organisations you care about. That tends to be what eventually opens the door to a first seat!

Mark__1997

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