Laurie Robinson Haden | Winter 2025
Boardrooms today face increasing pressure to diversify, modernize, and navigate complex legal, regulatory, and ethical challenges. Executive lawyers, especially those with an enterprise perspective, business fluency, and strategic vision, are uniquely positioned to add value at the board level. But landing that first board seat requires more than legal acumen. It demands visibility, intentional branding, and positioning yourself as a business leader, not just a legal advisor.
Here are 10 high-level strategies to help you secure your first corporate board seat, along with practical examples for each:
- Reframe Yourself as a Business Leader Who Happens to Be a Lawyer
Boards don’t need another technician—they need enterprise thinkers. Translate your legal experience into commercial impact.
Example:Instead of saying, “I led compliance for M&A,” say, “I helped scale the company through three strategic acquisitions that added $2B in revenue.”
- Get Clear on Your Board Value Proposition
What unique combination of skills, experience, and perspective do you offer?
Define it in one sentence.
Example:“I bring deep risk oversight, ESG experience, and global regulatory insight to companies scaling across borders.”
- Build a Board-Ready Resume and Bio
A board resume is not a legal CV. Highlight strategic leadership, financial literacy, governance experience, and business outcomes.
Example:Include achievements like “Guided board through activist investor response and governance refresh.”
- Join a Nonprofit, Private, or Advisory Board First
You can start where the barriers are lower to gain board experience and credibility.
Example:Serve on the board of a regional hospital, tech startup, or university foundation and contribute meaningfully on audit or governance committees.
- Network with Sitting Directors and Board Recruiters
Board appointments often happen through relationships, not postings.
Make it known you’re looking.
Example:Tell a sitting director, “Board service is a strategic goal of mine—please keep me in mind for opportunities aligned with my background.”
- Get on the Radar of Governance Organizations
Groups like Direct Women, NACD, Women Corporate Directors, and Ascend offer exposure, board training, and access to board seat pipelines.
Example:Join NACD and attend a local chapter event to meet directors and stay current on governance trends.
- Strengthen Your Financial and ESG Acumen
Boards expect fluency in financial statements, risk management, and sustainability.
Example:Take a course or certification on ESG metrics or audit committee fundamentals, and add it to your board bio.
- Raise Your Public Profile Strategically
Publish, speak, or be featured on topics where legal intersects with business, strategy, or governance.
Example:Write a LinkedIn article: “What GCs Wish Boards Knew About AI Risk.”
- Serve Internally on Governance Committees
If you’re in-house, raise your hand for the executive risk, ethics, or ESG committee. These mirror board committee works.
Example:Lead a cross-functional task force on cybersecurity oversight for your company’s risk committee.
- Be Patient but Persistent
Securing a board seat can take time, but intentional steps pay off. Stay focused and continue refining your positioning.
Example:Track board openings in industries you’re familiar with and have a 90-second “board elevator pitch” ready.
In conclusion, securing your first board seat isn’t just about legal expertise, but also about framing your experience in terms of business value, strategic oversight, and enterprise risk. You already have the credentials. Now, it’s about showing that you’re boardroom-ready.
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