(Denver, CO – June 11, 2015) - Board Guru™, the premier global player in virtual board and director development, announced today the debut of its final book in the Becoming a Public Company Director trilogy - Becoming a Public Company Director: Interview Strategies. Board Guru™ eBooks are exceptionally valuable and timely tools to guide today’s busy professionals through the maze of best practices of corporate governance.

“There is no interview like the director interview. My ‘tales from the field’ reveal never before written wisdom that can make the difference between winning and losing a board seat. This first-of-its-kind book reveals power tips about the closely-held director interview process with content that is a combination of big insights and practical strategies around impact, credibility and connection. The savvy board candidate will find help to sharpen their interview skills with insights into specific strategies that distinguish the very best candidates for board seats,” said Tracy Houston, Board Resources Services, President and creator of the exclusively digital eBook series for corporate governance. “My goal was to help candidates develop a ‘relevance telescope’ that highlights what really matters. This is a ready reference that director candidates will return to again and again for the crucial information needed to gain a board seat.”

Board Guru™ eBooks aim to transform how directors and governance professionals keep abreast of company trends and create value in the boardroom. Think of the eBooks as a governance version of Cliffs Notes®.  With collaborative governance in mind, the eBooks combine the efforts of directors and boardroom experts in a platform that is concise, easy to use, and filled with real-world experience. Board Guru™ products omit the dogma and advance the need for practical leadership tools – a critical advantage for the 21st century.

Recently published titles include: Becoming a Public Company Director, Becoming a Public Company Director: Social Media Strategies, Board Evaluation: Creating Strategic Performance and Effectiveness, New Director Board Due Diligence, The Art of Constructive Challenge, and Boardroom Insider: Best Blogs, Resources and Insights.

After an overwhelming response to my recent blog “Top 7 Challenges for Director Candidates,” I wanted to share a few more insights for director candidates. As a board consultant who does director search and offers a coaching engagement to help first-time candidates with a "directorship strategy" to gain a public company board seat, I hear from many director candidates who are experiencing the hard challenge of gaining a public company board seat. Often times I am offering words of encouragement. While I am happy to help, I also want to point out some of the “harsher” realities of what I see and hear from director candidates.

1. Entitlement. This comes across as an attitude communicating “I have worked all my life and ‘deserve’ a board seat.” Compared to other candidates, who know the days of an honorary board seat are gone, this attitude represents a failure to commit to a full-fledged initiative, to confirm assumptions on their value at a board level and to complete the due diligence necessary to be a serious candidate.

2. Locked in the past. This comes across as a lack of information about the changes in 21st century board composition and assumes that the good-old-boy system is still in place. Compared to other candidates, who have done research about board composition, there is dated belief that the tried and true has not changed.

3. Lack of strategic alignment. This comes across as a lack of having a specific board-level value proposition linked to the industry sector, company size, and current board composition. Compared to other candidates, who have a clear value proposition for a specific board, and who clearly communicate how they will add value, it has a mud-on-the-wall approach, and the candidate is unable to verbalize in a succinct statement what he or she would bring to a board.

4. Failure to communicate (reaching out and listening). This comes across as lack of a clear plan to keep in touch with important stakeholders, as well as the failure to keep track of previous board conversation high points. Compared to other candidates, who have a calendar and notes from board and stakeholder conversations, this is negligence in communication efforts and can be fatal.

Gaining a directorship means preparing for an extremely competitive environment. A director candidate had better know what sets them apart for the board seat they desire.

Over the last few years, I have heard from a number of board candidates about their biggest challenges. I have dug through my notes to share these. My hope is that the definitions and tips will bring further insights that will leverage and prioritize your time and efforts to gain a board seat.

Time

Boards move slowly. This makes keeping in touch essential for director candidates. Some become discouraged, lose momentum or completely stop networking. Those who remain consistent in their networking and communication efforts have an advantage.

A clear focus

The board world is large and mysterious. Without a well-defined board-level value proposition of what you bring to a board– one that provides focus and definition – then, time and energy is spent in a mud-on-the-wall approach and drains any sense of confidence that could be used to capitalize on potential opportunities. This is not just about having a good resume, you need to know how you can bring value, to what size company boards and in what industry.

Priorities that have impact

There is a diverse set of stakeholders that are a part of the networking to gain a board seat.  This is a complex business ecosystem in which to execute and can cause indecisiveness. Stakeholders, once defined, must be weighted for level of importance and leveraged to help you gain visibility.

Relearn

Boards are in a time of transition in defining who will be the next director. For the transformations happening now and in the future, your talents need to be closely aligned with the agendas and priorities with the boards on your target list. Build a strategic message about why you should be their next director.

Fragmentation

The market is producing a number of new ways to identify the next generation candidate. This makes it hard to know where you need to be and to stay on top of the trends. Ensure your reading and networking time gains key information in this area.

Foundational changes

There are three foundational changes needed for a 21st century director candidate: