Be Board Ready: The Secrets to Landing a Board Seat and Being a Great Director

by Betsy Atkins

Betsy Atkins is often asked “How can I get on a board?” So after 20+ years in the boardroom and multiple roles in public and private companies she is ready to share her secrets. In this book, she teaches you how to build your own personal brand as well as how to keep yourself relevant and growing. She shares tips on how to make your personal network the most effective (and the most enjoyable.) Betsy covers the best ways to present your skills and credentials in order to get that board interview as well as detailed information on how to prepare for it. But getting that board seat won’t be the end of your journey. Once you are on the board, you’ll want to be the best board member you can, helping your companies grow and prosper so you’ll be able to get that next, even better board seat.

For new CEOs and entrepreneurs she covers how to make your board work for you and be a true accelerant for your company; the role of the board, choosing new board members (and getting rid of the bad ones), maximizing your board meetings and building board relationships to ensure success for you as a CEO and for your company.

Also included is a collection of articles and learnings from Betsy’s experiences as an operator, board member and advisor to some of America’s largest and most notable public companies.

After reading this book, prospective board members will be energized and motivated to create their own personal brand, cultivate it to gain a board seat, be a better board member and CEO and continue to educate on the issues boards are looking at today.  

Genres: Business

216 pages, Paperback

Published April 9, 2019

Reviews

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tech and serial entrepreneur, and veteran of more than 25 public boards, Betsy Atkins share her tips and experiences for how to land a board seat, developing your personal brand in facilitating that goal, developing your personal network and much more. Very readable and recent (published April 2019), Atkins describes in readable and conversational prose on how CEOs should manage their board, how to navigate ESG—environment, social and governance issues—and includes dozens of articles and vignettes in reference to her experiences and reflections on other public companies she’s given advice. Includes exceptional words on diversity of board composition—especially in regards to women. Essential resource for aspiring board members, CEOs/Chairmen, and directors! #NACD http://twitter.com/NACD

[William Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Be board Ready starts out with advice for building up and getting onto a corporate board of directors.

Then, half-way in, it breaks down and becomes a reposting of unconnected articles that Atkins had published in the past.

While all the articles were interesting reads they pivoted from the earlier tone of the book. The first section was actionable general advice. But the articles cover specific topics such as how Elon Musk's tweets could have been handled by his board.

It's worth the read for the first section though, and while targeted at getting a board seat, much of the advice will help grow your career regardless of your current position.

[Ryan Woroniecki · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good primer for someone unfamiliar with a for-profit board role looking to better position themselves for the future. I was hoping to better understand how this applies to nonprofits. There were some good takeaways, and even direct references, but the differences in board for-profit and non-profit roles and responsibilities, as I understand them makes this a so-so read given my goal.

[Ken Hamel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good read for anyone considering joining a Board and has limited exposure to Boards. It’s also helpful if you are creating a Board for a profit or non-profit entity.