How to Transition from Management to Board Oversight

A successful board is usually made up of independent- minded experts. These experts “spent time in their field” as leaders but how can we get ” independent- minded directors” to follow these experts path?
Lola Gershfeld, CEO of Level Five Executive, and Kim Chatani, an independent board director for several U.S. organizations, stated in Forbs that there are three points to help new directors to transfer to the “board oversights”.
 
Developing A Safe Space For Directors 
According to Gershfeld and Chatani the best leaders were the ones who encouraged directors and gave them the opportunity to learn . Gershfeld added that “strong leaders are consistently monitoring risks to the organization and making sure that qualified candidates are nominated and retained”.
Board leaders should bring experts assistance to assist these directors and help them to understand “the intricacies of rules and regulations that govern their industry”.
Leading to higher-level of observation
The transition from daily management to higher-level oversight is usually difficult for new directors. Gershfeld stated that “new directors pick up the sense of comfort and trust between the board and the executive team pretty quickly. When the board’s culture is based on nurturing bonds and emotional connection with the executive team, the interaction creates a positive experience, which reinforces new directors to feel safe and connected among directors”.
Focusing on the development of the soft skills
New directors should focus on developing their soft skills Gershfeld said ” These skills include empathy, validation, reflection, reframing and care. All these skills come out of a commitment to emotional connection”. Then she added “ By recognizing how emotion affects actions and decisions, directors can become ever more accessible, responsive and engaged with each other and with the members of the management team. This means that even though they may be feeling stressed, they are responsive when others need them, and they are able to remain emotionally engaged even though they may not agree with the proposal or the final decision. We are talking about a very special kind of emotional presence that provides the safety cue for the brain to remain in emotional balance”.