If you’re serious about becoming a Non-Executive Director, you must be able to answer these two questions clearly and convincingly:
What boards would you like to join?
Why do you want to be a NED?
Not eventually.
Not vaguely.
Now.
Because if you can’t answer them – confidently and authentically – your reputation will suffer.
Why this matters more than you think
Around 65% of board appointments are filled through personal connections, not advertisements. That means most opportunities arise through conversations with Chairs, current Directors, CEOs, recruiters and trusted advisors.
And here’s the reality:
When those people ask you why you want a board role, or what types of boards you’re targeting, they’re not being polite — they’re assessing risk.
If your answers are unclear, generic or opportunistic, the reaction is usually silent but decisive:
They won’t put your name forward
They won’t advocate for you
They won’t “keep you in mind.”
Not because they’re unkind — but because their own reputation is on the line.