Boardroom INSIDER for JULY…
JOINING A BOARD? IT’S OK TO ASK “WHAT’S IN IT FOR ME?”
Why serve on a corporate board of directors? Business leaders typically tell us they “want to give back,” mentor young business, make a difference, share their expertise, and similar high-minded motivators. But the July issue of online monthly Boardroom INSIDER suggests board members shouldn’t be shy about asking a basic question – “what’s in it for me?”
“Board prospects have every right to weigh how a board role could benefit them,” writes BI publisher and business speaker Ralph Ward. The altruistic drivers above don’t explain why successful business people take on a complex, legally hazardous, and often demanding boardroom role for modest fees. Ward notes that top-level networking opportunities, an education “no business school can teach,” and a reputation boost are “drivers to take on a largely thankless boardroom role.”
Also in Boardroom INSIDER for July…
Six red flags for boards seeking a new CEOHow are boards handling exec pay clawbacks?
Q&A: An activist put me in the boardroom… now, how do I fit in?
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Coming September 2025… Ralph Ward’s new book
Hacking the Boardroom (Taylor & Francis) is the lifesaver every director needs today. This is the intelligence that boards must have to do a better oversight job, in less time, with less effort, and fewer legal dangers. Proven “how to” insights from front-line board members, CEOs, corporate staffers, top consultants and legal advisors. Corporations, nonprofits, government enterprises… any organization where directors are battling 21st Century governance realities will learn from the hacks in this “owner’s manual for the boardroom.”
Visit the Hacking the Boardroom site for pre-orders, or drop me a note for the latest updates on publication
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RALPH WARD…
…is an internationally-recognized writer and commentator on the role of boards of directors, the secrets of how benchmark boards excel, gaining a board seat, and the future of governance worldwide.
Ward is the publisher of the online email newsletter Boardroom INSIDER, the worldwide source for practical, first-hand advice on better boards and directors ( www.boardroominsider.com).
He is author of the books Board Seeker: Your Guidebook and Career Map into the Corporate Boardroom (2018), Boardroom Q&A (2011), The New Boardroom Leaders (2008), Saving the Corporate Board (2003), Improving Corporate Boards: The Boardroom INSIDER Guidebook (2000), and 21st Century Corporate Board (1997).
Ward is a CPD-certified trainer, and speaks internationally on board and governance topics, and presents a “Boardroom Masterclass” seminar worldwide, with recent programs in the Middle East, Asia and Africa. His media appearances including CNNfn, C-SPAN, Voice of America, Bloomberg Money Show, National Public Radio, Marketplace, and CNBC (U.S. and U.K.).
Ward has also edited The Corporate Board magazine, the international journal of corporate governance, since 1990. He writes and comments on boardroom matters for a number of other publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Across the Board, Crains, Vital Speeches, the Detroit Free Press, Barrons and INC.com., and serves on several advisory and non-profit boards.