High-performing boards don’t seek more consensus. They value people with the judgement and courage to ask the question everyone else is avoiding.

One of the clearest signals someone is ready for a board role isn’t their strategic thinking, financial expertise or operational track record.

It’s the moment they realise a senior leader or a critical strategic decision may be wrong – and everyone else in the room is staying quiet. Hawksmoor co-founder Will Beckett referenced it on a recent Boardwalk tutorial – it’s the ability to ‘speak truth to power’.

Boardrooms are built on a paradox. Directors are appointed for their independent judgement, yet the dynamics of hierarchy, reputation and power can make challenging senior voices uncomfortable – even risky. For aspiring female executives preparing for their first board role, that tension can feel even sharper.

The question isn’t whether to challenge. Boards exist to test decisions, behaviour and risk. The real skill is knowing how to raise concerns in a way that strengthens the discussion and earns respect.

The authority problem no one names

In The Authority Gap, journalist Mary Ann Sieghart highlights a familiar leadership paradox: behaviour that signals authority in men can be judged differently in women.

Many senior women recognise this instinctively. Challenge too directly and you risk being labelled difficult. Soften your view too much and you risk being overlooked.

The answer isn’t to avoid challenge. Boards need directors willing to question assumptions and raise uncomfortable issues. What earns respect is not the force of the challenge, but the quality of the thinking behind it.

Authority in the boardroom comes from judgement.

High-performing boards respect challenge

Some aspiring directors assume harmony means a board is functioning well. In reality, the opposite is often true.

Strong boards are built on thoughtful dissent.

In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg encouraged women to “sit at the table”. At board level that means more than occupying the seat – it means contributing fully to the discussion, especially when the issue is uncomfortable.

The directors boards value most tend to do three things well:

• Spot emerging risks others haven’t raised
• Question the assumptions behind major decisions
• Raise cultural or behavioural concerns before they escalate

In other words, boards respect insight more than agreement.

Challenge ideas, not people

One of the most effective ways to raise concerns is to focus on the decision rather than the individual.

Experienced directors rarely deliver blunt criticism. Instead, they ask questions that encourage the board to examine the issue more closely.

For example:

“Can we explore the assumptions behind this forecast?”
“What risks might we be underestimating here?”
“What cultural signal might this decision send internally?”

I once saw a director pause a discussion moving smoothly toward approval and ask a simple question: “Before we vote, can we talk about what failure would look like here?”

The tone of the meeting changed immediately. The board began examining risks that hadn’t been discussed. No confrontation was needed – just the right question.

Courage matters more than comfort

At some point every director faces a moment when speaking up feels uncomfortable.

Perhaps a performance issue is being minimised. Perhaps behaviour is misaligned with the company’s values. Perhaps a strategic decision is moving forward without enough scrutiny.

These moments shape a director’s reputation.

Boardrooms often reward collegiality – until something goes wrong. Then everyone asks why no one challenged the decision earlier.

Directors earn respect when they are prepared to raise the question others are avoiding.

Let go of the need to manage reactions

Part of the hesitation many female leaders feel about challenging senior colleagues comes from worrying how their contribution will be received.

In the Let Them Theory, Mel Robbins argues that we can’t control how others respond.

In governance settings that’s particularly true. A director’s job is to bring independent judgement to the discussion. Whether others agree or disagree isn’t the point – what matters is that the issue has been properly examined before a decision is made.

The voice boards are looking for

Aspiring board directors often assume influence comes from status or seniority. In reality it often comes from three quieter qualities.

– Clarity of thinking. Contributions are concise and well reasoned.
– Constructive intent. Questions strengthen decisions rather than undermine colleagues.
– Composure. Even difficult challenges are delivered calmly.

Over time these qualities build the reputation every board looks for: someone thoughtful, independent and trusted to raise the issues that matter.

Because boards rarely suffer from too much disagreement.

They struggle when the most important questions go unasked.

And the directors who earn lasting respect are rarely the most agreeable voices in the room.

They are the ones prepared to ask the question everyone else is quietly hoping someone else will raise.