For many leaders, summer provides something that can feel surprisingly rare: thinking space. Diaries become a little less congested, decision-making can slow and there is often more opportunity to step back from day-to-day operational demands. For some, that breathing space is simply a chance to recharge. For others, it becomes the moment when bigger career questions begin to surface. Questions about long-term direction, legacy, impact and what they want the next stage of their professional life to look like.
One of the most common conversations I have with senior leaders at this time of year centres on the boardroom. Some are approaching retirement and thinking about how they want to remain professionally engaged. Others are considering portfolio careers for the first time. After years of executive leadership, many feel they have experience and perspective that could be valuable beyond their current organisation. What surprises me is how many have never translated that ambition into a structured plan.
Why so many aspiring NEDs never create a plan
Across our NED-focused webinars this year, we have seen a consistent pattern. Many leaders are interested in non-executive director appointments, but relatively few have documented how they intend to get there. Among attendees, 67% said they do not have a written NED career plan, while a further 27% have considered creating one but never moved beyond the idea.
Those figures are revealing. These are leaders who have managed large budgets, reported to boards, advised executive committees, led transformation programmes and made decisions carrying significant organisational consequences. Most have accumulated substantial leadership experience. The unanswered questions tend to be where that experience fits best, what type of board would benefit most from it and how they should position themselves for future opportunities.
One reason this planning matters is that board appointments rarely follow the predictable patterns many executives are used to. Opportunities often emerge through reputation, relationships and conversations that have been developing quietly in the background for months or even years. By the time a vacancy becomes visible, a board may already have a strong sense of the type of individual it hopes to attract. Waiting until September to begin thinking about a board career can therefore mean arriving later than you realise.
This is one reason summer can be such a useful period. While many assume career activity slows dramatically during July and August, succession planning continues, search firms continue mapping talent and boards continue thinking about future capability. The market often becomes quieter rather than inactive. In many respects, that creates an opportunity. There is less competition for attention, more opportunity to reconnect with people and more time to undertake the strategic thinking that is difficult to prioritise during busier periods of the year.
Executive success does not automatically translate into board readiness
Many successful executives also assume that their track record will naturally translate into board opportunities. Sometimes it does. More often, it requires reframing.
Boards are naturally interested in executive achievement, but they are equally interested in judgement. They want to understand how an individual approaches governance, risk, stakeholder management, succession and long-term organisational health. They are assessing whether someone can contribute perspective and challenge while respecting the boundary between governance and management. Many senior leaders have extensive experience in these areas, yet their CVs and LinkedIn profiles continue to emphasise operational delivery, transformation programmes and commercial performance. As a result, much of their board value remains hidden in plain sight.
This is reflected in our webinar data. Sixty-six per cent of attendees told us they do not have separate CVs for executive and non-executive opportunities. The two documents are essential as they perform very different functions. An executive CV demonstrates leadership delivery, ownership and accountability. A NED CV needs to help a board understand how your experience contributes to stronger governance, better decision-making and more effective oversight. When the same document is used for both purposes, much of that distinction can easily be lost.
Turning a board ambition into a practical strategy
That is one of the reasons I encourage aspiring NEDs to create a written board career plan. The value is rarely the document itself. The real benefit comes from the thinking required to produce it. It forces difficult decisions, helps priorities emerge and turns a general aspiration into something that can be acted upon.
It is very easy to say, ‘I would like a NED role.’ It is considerably harder to answer the questions that sit beneath that ambition. What type of board role are you genuinely credible for today? Where would your experience have the greatest impact? What evidence demonstrates board-level thinking? Which relationships need strengthening? What skills or experiences could make you a more compelling candidate? What should your NED CV, LinkedIn profile and broader professional narrative say about you?
These questions are not theoretical. They are often the difference between a conversation progressing and quietly disappearing. Writing a plan also gives you assumptions to test. You may believe your future lies on a private equity-backed board, only to discover that an advisory board role offers a more realistic starting point. You may assume your sector expertise is your greatest asset, then realise your strongest contribution relates to transformation, governance, people leadership or risk. You may believe your network already knows you are interested in NED appointments, only to discover you have never explicitly communicated it.
That final point is particularly relevant. Among our webinar attendees, 75% said they do not have strong relationships with NED headhunters. This does not mean every aspiring NED needs to spend their time building extensive search firm networks. It does, however, highlight the importance of having a deliberate relationship strategy. Board appointments are influenced by visibility and credibility. Hoping the right opportunity will eventually appear is rarely sufficient.
What should your summer board plan include?
By September, you do not want to be starting from a blank page. You want to understand which sectors you are targeting, what your board proposition looks like and how you intend to communicate it. You want a board-ready CV, a LinkedIn profile that supports your ambitions and a clear view of which individuals, organisations and networks deserve your attention.
One of the most common patterns we see is that senior leaders have already done the hard part. They have led large teams, managed significant budgets, navigated regulatory scrutiny, handled reputation issues and advised senior stakeholders. Yet their professional materials continue to read like an executive career history rather than the profile of a future board member. Summer provides an opportunity to correct that.
Your plan does not need to become a lengthy strategy document. In fact, it probably should not. What matters is that it provides direction. It should help you identify the types of boards you are targeting, articulate why your experience is relevant, recognise any gaps that need addressing and prioritise the relationships and activities most likely to support your ambitions.
September rewards those who prepare during summer
The leaders who make the greatest progress towards a board career are not always those with the largest titles or the most impressive CVs. More often, they are the individuals who can articulate their value, demonstrate an understanding of board responsibilities and approach the market with purpose.
A non-executive director career plan provides the foundation for that approach. It helps transform a long-held ambition into a series of practical actions and ensures that when opportunities emerge, you are ready to engage with them. Because when September arrives, you do not want to be deciding where to start. You want to be ready to move.