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Joining a state public sector board lets directors apply their expertise for the public good. But seats are limited, selection is opaque and boards vary widely in purpose, independence and governance responsibilities.
For many first-time non-executive directors (NEDs), the challenge is learning when to speak up and when to step back. Unlike in executive roles, success isn’t measured by how quickly you solve problems or drive outcomes, but by how effectively you guide strategy, test assumptions and hold management accountable.
“I had to start thinking and operating in a different way from what I’d learned as an executive,” says Sally Martin GAICD, previously a senior executive at Shell and now a non-executive director (NED) of Sandfire Resources, Beach Energy and Porvair.
“As an executive, you do things the right way. On a board, it’s much more about working out what the right way is and then allowing somebody else to do it right.”
Instead of implementing a strategy set by others, says Martin, new NEDs have to step away from the immediacy of running a business and reflect on the bigger picture.
“That’s very liberating, but also dangerous. Not having to think about how to get stuff done leaves you free to have lots of good ideas, but that can be unhelpful. You risk sending management running off in very different directions.”
A juggling act
Angie Paskevicius FAICD, an experienced chair, NED and CEO, says new NEDs often ask too many detailed questions or request specific information that doesn’t add value, unnecessarily increasing management’s workload.
She points to the principle of “nose in, fingers out” — staying informed and guiding strategy but resisting the urge to micromanage.
“They [NEDs] must trust that management understands what it’s doing and confirm this through questioning,” says Paskevicius. “You’re not on a board as a subject matter expert. You’re there with the same responsibilities as every other director.”
Helen Lea GAICD, a NED on several boards and formerly in an executive role at MYOB, says the transition is hardest for former CEOs. Once commanding their teams daily, they now find themselves at a boardroom table of equals, meeting peers perhaps only monthly.
“In the beginning, you’ve got to acknowledge you’re on a learning curve, but by the same token, your accountabilities and duties kick in from day one,” she says. “You’re in that balancing act of not staying quiet while equally being clear on which matters are relevant for a broader conversation.”
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From “I” to “we”
Rob Newman, an organisational psychologist and managing partner at Change Focus Group, explains that decision-making in an operational role is often made by individuals competing on whose ideas will prevail.
“In contrast, boardroom deliberations are more collegial, focusing on consensus-building rather than expert-led decision-making,” he says, adding the latter requires less personal ego and more respectful influencing.
Fledgling NEDs, he says, also need to learn how to disagree without being disagreeable. “It’s less about giving the answers and more about coaching them out of executives.”
In his experience, executives often struggle with the boardroom’s focus on process — structured debate, minutes and resolutions — finding it slow or overly procedural.
At its core, says Newman, the transition to the boardroom requires three specific mind shifts:
From micro to macro — a switch from localised issues to organisation-wide impacts, wider markets and over-the-horizon implications.
From “problem-solving” to “pattern recognition”. Rather than resolving execution challenges, NEDs must explore assumptions, look for red flags and pressure-test the logic of management’s plans.
From internal to external — from budgets, resource coordination and politics to market disruption and competitive and regulatory threats.
“Executives on boards who don’t make these shifts in thinking often compete with the executives rather than guide or support them,” he adds.
Making the leap
Julie Toma GAICD, an executive director of Catholic Care Sydney, is mindful not to dabble in operational matters as a NED. “I had to unlearn the habit of wanting to roll up my sleeves and make things happen,” she says.
Toma has deliberately strengthened her active listening skills to ensure she picks up on different perspectives around the boardroom table.
Lea agrees, noting that while her executive experience had given her a good understanding of the adjustments required, theory is very different from practice.
She says new NEDs have a lot of familiarisation work to do, including understanding new acronyms, regulations and people.
To prepare, Lea recommends reading board papers as early as possible. “You need time to absorb and reflect on what you’ve read, to recognise patterns and formulate questions and views.”
Martin followed a similar path. “In the early days, I spent lots of time ensuring I understood the board papers and could comment on any detail I might be expected to, but that wasn’t the point,” she says. “I needed to go into that boardroom with an opinion on the issues being discussed.”
These days, Martin reads the board papers twice, first to understand the contents and then to assess her views on them. While it’s important to have a view, she recognises it’s just as important to be able to change that view as the discussion progresses.
Martin adds that NEDs often don’t get the same level of feedback they enjoyed as executives, making it harder to assess their performance. To overcome this, she asks fellow NEDs how she’s doing and reviews her own performance after each meeting. “But of all of the tools, the most valuable have been the notebook and pen I use to synthesise what I’m reading,” she adds.
Like Martin, Lea was a mentee in the AICD’s Chair’s Mentoring Program 2025, which gave her access to a “wonderful” mentor and network.
“There’s plenty of literature, lunches and network groups to help you enrich your knowledge,” she says. “You can also learn from your peers by listening to how they ask questions or view the changing landscape.”
Lea offers one final piece of advice for new NEDs: Treat the role as a career transition like any other. “Be open to learning and curious about the organisation and people you’re working with.”
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