Transitioning into a NED role
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Taking a Non-Exec Director role after a long and successful career is a logical step for people looking to develop new challenges and directions.
Companies who need NEDs will be looking for candidates with experience and good reputation. You can demonstrate your experience through your CV, but your reputation will have arrived at the interview well in advance of you, and will have set expectations before you even enter the room.
If you are considering a NED role, then doing some work on how you are perceived, and understanding what the ‘market’ is saying about you, is essential.
Choosing the right role
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Your reputation and personal brand is the most valuable thing you will have after a long career.
When choosing a NED role, it is important to make sure the company you are considering shares the same values that you do. You should be asking yourself whether your reputation will be enhanced or could be damaged by the company you are looking at.
You should look carefully at the businesses ethics and brand, and carry out a matching exercise against your own personal brand.
Board Responsibility
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NEDs have numerous statutory and legal obligations as members of the board of a business.
You will be asked to make decisions that will have a material impact on people’s lives, both inside and outside the company.
The reputational impact of those decisions can be substantial, with the ability to significantly affect the way the business is perceived, either positively or negatively.
Reputational Meta-risk
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One of the key tools of a board of directors is the Risk Register. All the risks to the business are listed and weighted for likelihood and impact.
Reputational risk is not always included as a line item. It is, however, a meta-risk; something that lies over individual risks that can seriously damage or destroy a business if the response to something going wrong is mishandled.
As a NED, you need to have a good understanding of how the risk register can impact the company’s reputation in the event something goes wrong.
The role of a Non-Executive Director is challenging and rewarding. Your reputation and personal brand plays a role in getting you appointed as a NED, and once in the role, you play a big part in ensuring the reputation of the business you are governing.
We can help you with all the reputation and brand aspects of your role as a Non-Exec Director, advising you as an individual or as advisors to your board.
What should I do next?
Contact us for a confidential conversation or take Reputation Buzz’s five question health check to find out how well you manage your reputation at the moment. It’s free and only takes a couple of minutes.
