About Keith Dorsey:

Dr. Keith Dorsey is a researcher, author, advisor, and active board member focused on diversity, governance, and strategic growth for corporate boards. His research on women executives’ pathways to board seats revealed key insights into the barriers and facilitators women face in attaining these roles. His forthcoming book, The Boardroom Journey: Practical Guidance for Women to Secure a Seat at the Table, blends research with his executive and board experience. He is a National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) Certified Director and 2023 NACD Directorship 100™ honoree, serving on several private and nonprofit boards. As founder of The Boardroom Journey and senior advisor at Boyden, he helps leaders strengthen governance, pursue board readiness, and advance toward the C-suite.

In this episode, Dean Newlund and Keith Dorsey discuss:

Board readiness and governance leadership
Nominating committees and board composition
Career planning for future board service
AI’s influence on board dynamics and decision-making
CEO–board relationships and evaluation practices

Key Takeaways:

Executives must transition from being “unconsciously competent operators” to “consciously competent governance professionals” to be board-ready.
Nominating committees seek board candidates whose purpose and values align authentically with the company’s mission, not those simply seeking prestige or pay.
Board preparation should start early in one’s career, ideally in one’s 20s or 30s, by intentionally developing human capital, breadth of experience, and a governance mindset.
Effective boards avoid becoming rubber stamps by regularly evaluating members’ competencies, maintaining succession plans, and engaging in meaningful executive sessions.

"A good board will ask challenging questions—not to get you to say, ‘I got you,’ or to try to let them know that they haven’t done things correctly—but to ask questions to widen their aperture a little bit.” — Keith Dorsey