Is Becoming a Public Company Director Your Career North Star?

If your career goals include a public company board seat, make these three lists to keep focused on your goal of becoming a director. This is a quick, easy way to keep your North-Star priorities. Make time to update them monthly and stay on track.

Win List: This list includes new people you have met, who are also on the journey to the boardroom. Maybe you shared coffee or lunch – even a phone call? List their names and what you learned or gained from the conversation. Keep in touch with them periodically to match progress.

Coaching Tree List: On this list keep track of your formal or informal mentors or executive sponsors. This list includes people at all levels, who share a common desire to grow and learn and who offer you constructive feedback. Meet with them periodically to elicit their suggestions. Separately, keep track of those you mentor, and check in on their progress.

Stakeholder List: Include all the professionals whom you are networking with and the key conversation points. Revisit this list before any meetings and/or calls and review often to reset priorities.

Life can be busy, but these three simple lists can keep you firmly pointed toward your North Star.

For more information, see Becoming a Public Company Director (Amazon, Barnes, iBookstore $9.99)

Consultant to Boards, Author of Board Guru™ eBook Series and Previous Sitting Director

– Triple Crown Value Proposition

Tracy E. Houston, M.A. is the President of Board Resources Services, LLC. She is a refined specialist in board consulting and executive coaching with a heartfelt passion for rethinking performance, teams, and the boardroom. With a focus on leadership, strategy, and risk management, she consults primarily with directors, presidents, and senior officers to provide input on high level, sensitive, and complex issues. Sometimes called the Chief Potential Officer, Tracy has a background that includes sitting on a number of boards, board consulting, and coaching for potential. She develops unique insights into the vital role of human interaction and the inevitable fusion between barriers to growth and success. Extensively published, Tracy has written hundreds of blogs that are featured on numerous award-winning websites and has a monthly board column hosted by ColoradoBiz Magazine. She is the creator of the Board Guru™ eBooks - a corporate governance leadership series.

Her company, Board Resource Services, has a website at www.eboardmember.com and www.eboardguru.com. Follow Tracy on Twitter @BoardGuru. Headquartered in the Denver, Colorado area, Tracy is an avid hiker.