{"id":5178,"date":"2016-11-29T19:52:48","date_gmt":"2016-11-29T19:52:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/look-board-directors\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T17:47:23","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T17:47:23","slug":"look-board-directors","status":"publish","type":"rbc_tl","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/look-board-directors\/","title":{"rendered":"What to Look For in Your Board of Directors"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"jetpack-video-wrapper\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"#GoNorth: What to Look For in Your Board of Directors\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/m_s6d73bWw4?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<h6><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3FHvlMNYZtE&amp;feature=youtu.be\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Alternate YouTube video with closed captioning<\/a><\/h6>\n<h4>Here are some key qualities to look for in potential board members:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Experience<\/b><br \/>\nIdentify seasoned professionals who can add value, insight, credibility and experience to guide your company.<\/li>\n<li><b>A willingness to push you<\/b><br \/>\nLook for individuals who are going to challenge your ideas and strategies to help you get to the next level.<\/li>\n<li><b>Specialized knowledge<\/b><br \/>\nTap individuals with unique skills to create well-rounded thought leadership around the boardroom table.<\/li>\n<li><b>An understanding of the big picture<\/b><br \/>\nYour board members aren&#8217;t there to get in the weeds. You want them to have a broad vision, and to be in tune with what&#8217;s happening out there in the world.<\/li>\n<li><b>A network<\/b><br \/>\nThe best directors know lots of people\u2014contacts that are aware of pending changes to regulations, know talent outside your circle, or have the inside scoop on office space or suppliers.<\/li>\n<li><b>An ability to raise your profile<\/b>There&#8217;s great value in board members who can open doors to public-speaking opportunities, introduce you to decision-makers, and promote your brand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When hiring a director, there&#8217;s a lot to consider. This individual will be your partner, advocate, co-strategist and a key investor in your success.<br \/>\n<div class=\"divider\"><\/div><\/p>\n<h4>Here are some key questions to ask when hiring a director:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><b>What else have you invested in?<\/b><br \/>\nExplore whether there are synergies that can be leveraged between their investments.<\/li>\n<li><b>Can you introduce us to your network?<\/b><br \/>\nRemember, this individual&#8217;s rolodex is one of his or her most valuable contributions to your company.<\/li>\n<li><b>Have you operated a startup before?<\/b><br \/>\nIf you only look at the financials of a startup, they don&#8217;t always make sense. The market may not exist yet, the need may not be established, and everything is new. You need someone who has been there before, and has the ability to envision a new market.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>When you&#8217;re running a business, relationships are key to your success. As you scale up and even look to go public, you&#8217;ll need a board that&#8217;s behind you every step of the way, and shares your vision for the company you&#8217;ve started. Select carefully, take your time, and hire outside help if you need a professional opinion throughout this important process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>To successfully scale a business, you&#8217;ll need guidance and oversight. That&#8217;s where a board of directors comes in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":209,"featured_media":4890,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"disable_focal_point":true,"featured_image_focal_point":{"x":0.5,"y":0.5},"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"rbc_tl_category":[],"rbc_tl_tag":[104,114],"class_list":["post-5178","rbc_tl","type-rbc_tl","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","rbc_tl_tag-entrepreneurship","rbc_tl_tag-hiring"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.7 (Yoast SEO v26.8) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What to Look For in Your Board of Directors - RBC<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/thought-leadership\/look-board-directors\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What to Look For in Your Board of Directors\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To successfully scale a business, you&#039;ll need guidance and oversight. 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