Mike O’Donnell is a professional director, writer and strategy adviser, and a regular opinion contributor.

OPINION: One of the secrets to being a good leader is employing people smarter than you, giving them a clear idea of what success looks like and helping clear obstacles from their way.

If you make a half reasonable job of this, those people will probably not only do a cracking good job, they will get the seasoning to do it again in other jobs and in other organisations.

It’s a special feeling to watch those people flourish as they build their careers, add value to shareholders and make their way in the world.

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I got a reminder of this recently when Petra contacted me. Petra worked for me at an e-commerce company about 10 years ago and had gone on to set up a professional services company providing legal and corporate services to tech companies in Aotearoa.

And from her client list, I’m guessing she’s made a cracking good job of it. No surprises there.

She came to me recently to get some advice on starting to move into governance. It’s a request I get a bit, and it always reminds me of some advice I got from the first chairperson I worked with back in the 1990s.

He recommended that I get an accountancy degree and join the Wellesley Gentlemen’s Club. Advice that even then was obsolete. Needless to say I didn’t take it.

These days my advice to people like Petra is quite different.

First I ask why do you want to go into governance? What’s your motivation for becoming a director?

If it’s money, the ability to boss people about or to move into an “all care, no responsibility” role then you should forget it. You will be disappointed on all counts.

On the other hand if you think you have got enough battle scars to help organisations better harness opportunities, mitigate risk and grow great leaders, then it maybe a good move.

Assuming that’s the case, then how should you go about it?

Start by asking yourself what value you bring to the table.

It’s useful to think of your skills set needing to tick three sets of boxes for director work.

First I think you need seasoned general manager or C-suite experience in some of the core skills of business. That means recent and relevant technical expertise and may include marketing, distribution, operations, finance, IT or HR.

Second you need great soft skills. This is about communication, leadership, listening, intuition, and humility. Humility is particularly important.

Third, I think you need to have some of the specific skills around the skills of governance. This can include strategy, audit or risk, remuneration, finance and health and safety.

For most aspiring directors this also means upskilling in the theory and practice of governance, learning what “noses in but fingers out” means in the real world.

In Aotearoa this really means getting familiar with the Institute of Directors curriculum and working out which of its courses you’d benefit from. The foundation point is its residential company directors course, but at around $10,000 and a week of work time it’s not a trivial investment.

The good news is that the institute offers a bunch of specialty courses that are shorter and less costly, including some really good web courses including an “online bundle” across 12 modules for around $900. If you’re across the ditch the Australian Institute of Company Directors have a pretty useful set of courses also.

Meanwhile, becoming a chartered member of the Institute of Directors can demonstrate your commitment and provide you with a competitive edge.

To me, however, the big thing is getting experience. That is seeing good directors do their stuff. Across most of the provinces there are emerging director groups for younger directors to network and get time as a board observer.

Likewise, there is the Future Directors Programme which Sir Stephen Tindall got going a decade ago. Future Directors gives aspiring directors the ability to parachute into boards and get experience the practical rather than the theoretical. Last year it placed 16 future directors onto various organisations including Spark, TVNZ and New Zealand Post.

Likewise, mentoring is a powerful thing. Learning good habits from seasoned practitioners. In my case I got to work with both Alison Paterson and Kerry Prendergast early on in my governance career – two directors who combine being super smart with refreshing doses of irreverence. And two that I’m indebted to for helping lift my skill set.

Getting to watch people like these respond to the ups and downs of trading conditions, takeovers, and mergers, chief executive succession and changes in shareholders is pure gold.

The last thing is getting yourself on the radar of board recruiters.

While many premium recruitment firms do some boardroom work as well as executive roles, in my experience there are two smaller outfits that are worth reaching out to. Board Dynamics in Auckland and Stimulis down south, are both specialist director-only businesses that I’ve found great to deal with.

Directing is a privilege as well as a responsibility. Hopefully demystifying the path there will contribute to greater diversity, younger perspectives and better outcomes.