Very Caliente

The Boardroom Journey - Leadership, Diversity & Reinvention with Dr. Keith Dorsey

Episode Summary

Dr. Keith Dorsey joins Pablo and Jennie to break down how regular people actually earn a seat in the corporate boardroom. From 29 years across the Air Force and corporate America to a USC doctorate in organizational change and leadership and five active board seats, Keith walks through his three career chapters, why the good old boys club persisted for so long, and the four protagonists he built into his book The Boardroom Journey to give readers a roadmap by life stage. He kills the myth that there aren't enough qualified women for boards, names the false CEO and CFO prerequisites blocking them, and closes on the personal vision, mission and value reset every leader should run on themselves before they retire.

Episode Notes

Very Caliente

Hosts: Pablo Alsina & Jennie López

EP 027 - The Boardroom Journey - Leadership, Diversity & Reinvention with Dr. Keith Dorsey

Summary

Main Topics

Three career chapters: Air Force, corporate America, portfolio career
Why the boardroom looked like a mystery for decades
The four protagonists at life stages 25, 40, 55 and 62
Killing the not-enough-qualified-women myth
False CEO and CFO prerequisites versus actual skill set gaps
Cybersecurity, talent, risk and supply chain: the gaps boards really need filled
Starting with nonprofit boards in your 20s
Broadening your career track at 40 to widen your board journey
Dream big, reflect, build a personal vision, mission and value statement
Fail forward fast: life is 10% what happens, 90% how you react

Intriguing Quotes

"If you have those as the prerequisites, you're going to get mostly men." – Dr. Keith Dorsey
"When I was in my 30s, I couldn't even spell board." – Dr. Keith Dorsey
"Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react." – Dr. Keith Dorsey
"How often have we taken the time to do a personal vision, mission and value statement on us?" – Dr. Keith Dorsey
"There's not just one way to get the door in. You have to be intentional." – Jennie López

Key Moments

[00:14] - Jennie introduces Dr. Keith Dorsey
[00:52] - Three career chapters: Air Force, corporate America, portfolio career
[04:03] - The good old boys club and why boards stayed a mystery
[05:16] - People who broke in had a plan: dining room tables, sponsors, intentionality
[06:42] - The four protagonists at 25, 40, 55 and 62
[09:18] - The myth: the prerequisite was always CEO and CFO from Fortune 500
[09:48] - Swap the prerequisite for skill set gaps and the cornucopia opens up
[11:31] - Why Keith chose to write the book about women specifically
[14:47] - The 25-year-old: learn what a board is, start with nonprofits
[16:24] - The 40-year-old: broaden your track before retirement
[17:17] - The 55-year-old: analyze gaps, MBA, voluntary skill stretches
[18:26] - The 62-year-old CEO: connect the dots on board experience
[18:45] - Air Force as leadership ground: break you down to build you back up
[21:52] - Dream big, reflect, build a personal vision, mission and value statement
[22:40] - Reverse engineer the end in mind and bat over .900
[23:33] - Life is 10% what happens, 90% how you react

Notable Guests / Resources

Dr. Keith Dorsey - Author of The Boardroom Journey, board strategist and five-time corporate director
Find Keith on LinkedIn as Dr. Keith D. Dorsey
boardroomjourney.com