Post by Patricia Lenkov

Are Boards Overlooking Their Next Great Director? One of the most persistent blind spots I see in board searches is the quick pass on a first-time director. I understand the instinct. Boards want proven governance experience, someone who knows the rhythms of a boardroom and has seen a crisis up close and knows how to ask the tough questions. That's legitimate. But here's what gets lost in that calculus: the candidate who brings exactly the domain expertise the board needs, such as deep AI fluency, cybersecurity, or a specific industry lens. These executives may be people who haven't yet served on a board. Passing on them doesn't reduce risk. It just trades one risk for another. Some of the best boards I've seen have a succession pipeline. They don't search reactively when a seat opens. They're always on the lookout for high-potential directors and maintain ongoing relationships with those who have strong potential. Often, they have an executive search firm working on this for them. When the time comes, they choose from a short list they already trust, and they are not starting from scratch. This approach works particularly well when the potential director has no previous board experience. The talent is there. The question is whether the board is structured to develop it. #BoardDirectors #CorporateGovernance #ExecutiveSearch #BoardSuccession #Leadership