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Just when I was getting ready to present a key proposal at a major board meeting, a colleague who was the CFO (now a CEO) reminded me, 鈥渢here is no such thing as a good board meeting鈥攋ust one where nobody gets fired.鈥�

That鈥檚 not far from the truth. I鈥檝e seen too many self-inflicted career wounds in front of a board. I鈥檝e seen executives go into board meetings full of confidence and come out crushed. I鈥檝e witnessed senior leaders do such a lousy job presenting to a board that it damaged or destroyed their careers.

It鈥檚 a real shame since it doesn鈥檛 have to be this way. I hope that by sharing some fundamental principles I鈥檝e learned from the numerous times I鈥檝e presented to boards (as well as watching others), you can excel when it鈥檚 time to craft and deliver your own presentation:

• Be prepared: Just like a boxer spends one hour of training for every minute in the ring, put in the time to get ready. Your presentation needs a compelling storyline, key messages and solid evidence. Anticipate all the questions a board member might ask. Then practice enough to make sure you can present it flawlessly if someone wakes you at 3 a.m.
• KISS the board: KISS as in 鈥渒eep it simple, stupid.鈥� I鈥檝e witnessed too many board presentations in which you鈥檇 think the presenter got paid by the word. Follow . A presentation should have 10 slides, last no more than 20 minutes, and have no font smaller than 30 points. Simple beats complex every time.
• Read the room: Experts agree that 70 percent to 90 percent of communication is nonverbal. Unless you鈥檙e presenting via (geez, I hope not), keep that in mind. Are board members following you, or do they seem bored?聽 Hostile?聽 Confused? If you sense any of this might be happening, pivot and figure out the issue and address it right then and there (rather than moving on to your next slide).
• Don鈥檛 guess: You will occasionally interact with a board member who acts more like a prosecuting attorney in a murder trial. They will grill you on your presentation details and look for any inconsistencies. Be careful if this happens to you. I鈥檝e been in meetings where the presenter guessed and was wrong, then took a significant hit to their credibility. It is infinitely better to admit when you aren鈥檛 sure of something and promise to get back to the board member within 24 hours (or sooner). When in doubt, accept it and follow up quickly.
• Be true to your school: I鈥檝e been in situations when there was hidden (and sometimes blatant) tension between the board and management team. This can lead to some of the more politically oriented board members trying to create a 鈥渨edge issue鈥� (such as making a significant strategy change) to divide your management team. Don鈥檛 fall into this trap. If you鈥檙e a senior team member, your primary loyalty is to your boss (the CEO). Your management team must present a united front to the board to effectively lead the company. Team together, team apart鈥攅specially in front of your board.

Most board presentations I鈥檝e made (and countless others I鈥檝e witnessed) don鈥檛 have this much drama.聽 But rather than assuming the best, it鈥檚 better to plan for the worst when it鈥檚 your time to shine in front of a board. Be prepared, keep it simple, read the room, don鈥檛 guess and watch your CEO’s back to make sure you鈥檙e ready.

Good luck. You got this.

is operating partner at. He is a board member with (a leading consumer and marketing intelligence company). In addition, he鈥檚 the founder of, working with professionals who aspire to be marketing leaders. Over the past 40 years, he has worked in over 60 countries around the world for, and International, and as CMO of. He has previously written for 附近上门 News on how to join a board.

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