Aspiring Directors Programme

One of the most powerful lessons for me was around courage: having the confidence to pause or say no in high-pressure situations when something doesn’t feel right, especially when the long-term interests of the business, shareholders, and stakeholders are at stake.

The programme really underscored the need to reinforce your competencies, which dovetailed with my own intuition as a ‘newcomer’ board member. I also took away the importance of being selective about roles. It gives you that insight into how much it matters that you have a good fit with organisation and with other board members, because the role of the board in defining strategy is crucial.

The case studies were extremely helpful to put the theory into practice. It was key for all of us to understand that the independent director role comes with responsibility to set the strategy and framework for the CEO (and that the board of directors do not have an executive role) – we must stand back. The group spirit was great with participants that are now in my close network.