Harvard Business Review Board Member's Handbook

2. Winning Your Seat

Imagine you have climbed high on the executive ladder at your organization. Everything is going well at work, and your boss suggests that you may soon be ready for her job. You have the right temperament, you have many of the skills, but you have a few gaps to fill—you’ll need to deepen your understanding of how executives operate at the top. How, for example, do senior leaders not only account for cash but also generate it and allocate it wisely? What does it take to think strategically, communicate persuasively, and make decisive choices both internally and in dealings with customers, investors, and suppliers?

Short of holding a top executive role itself, there is no better way to master these skills than to observe ...