Teeing yourself up for a board seat.

• Author: Kristie, James
• Position: EDITOR'S NOTE - Editorial

IF THERE IS one question that I have gotten asked more than any other in my time as editor of DIRECTORS & BOARDS, it's this: "How does one go about getting on a board?" Very accomplished individuals have directed this query to me.

My stock answer was that it's not who you know but who knows you; that it's not something that you can exactly apply for. "Build it and they will come"--i.e., create a successful track record and you will be noticed by the boardroom powers that be. (And, of course, that a subscription to DIRECTORS & BOARDS is required reading for anyone involved in and interested in board service.)

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Because there is an audience hungry for practical guidance, we more fully answer that question with a prominent treatment of the subject in this edition. I invited a number of individuals well versed in board elections to offer up their best tips and tactics that they would give someone who asked them, "How do I get on a board?" Their wise advice might be everything you need to know about teeing yourself up for a directorship.

I really believe we need to encourage good people to step up to board service ... and show them how best to make it happen. This guide does just that.

Speaking of joining a board, DIRECTORS & BOARDS welcomes the following new members to its editorial advisory board:

* Norman R. Augustine, retired chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin...