We were delighted to host the Women on Boards event in collaboration with Maria Blakley, Corporate Lead at WB Directors. Maria shared seven reasons why taking on an executive or non-executive leadership role can be beneficial. The board's role is to scrutinize, challenge, and support an organisation in meeting compliance and enhancing performance. Maria effectively described this as having a helicopter view of all the organisation's operations, adopting an "eyes in, hands out" or "nose in, fingers out" approach.
The main takeaway was that board membership is open to everyone, regardless of age or career stage. It's a rewarding and enjoyable experience that allows each of us to contribute. Boards typically seek expertise in areas such as risk, finance, compliance, digital transformation, environment, culture & retention, marketing, cyber security, project management, and strategy. This suggests that we all have something unique to bring to the table that can influence an organization's growth.
Maria outlined the seven reasons why you should consider a board role, which were:
Enhance your career and leadership skills
Distinguish your CV
Expand your market and industry knowledge
Foster career resilience
Give back to the community at a leadership level
Maintain continuity in your CV during career breaks
Develop a post-executive board career
Maria also shared inspiring case studies of role models in the energy industry who have taken on board roles and contributed significantly to their communities and industries.
Remember, you don't have to do this alone. Women on Boards can guide you on your journey. They offer proven strategies for success. Women on Board is a purpose-led business committed to increasing diversity in executive and non-executive leadership. Explore their various membership options at: https://wbdirectors.co.uk/plans/.
In summary, the Women on Boards event was not just an informative session, but also an inspiring call to action. It encouraged attendees to consider how they could use their skills and experiences to make a difference at a leadership level and contribute to the growth of an organisation.
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