Welcome on Board: Celebrating class 8 of ScaleUpBoard

Last week we celebrated the graduation of ScaleUpBoard class 8! 🎓

During the course of 5 days we challenged the participants to dive into the multiple levels of being a board member. With the help of our faculty, the class learned all about the Art of Scaling, and reframed what they perceive their role to be as part of the board of a scaling venture. We were very happy to see the participants gain insights from each other and establish connections for the future.

At the end of the course everyone created a write-up on a topic of their choice, to reflect their learnings during the program. The topics included insights on developing sustainable businesses, culture and diversity, collaborative management, self-awareness as a board member, and code of conduct in the scale-up board. Here are some of the learnings mentioned in those write-ups:

• “The time where board responsibilities ‘only’ consisted of checks & balances and advice & expertise are long gone. These times ask for boards actively mirroring management, supporting & guiding them whilst navigating the VUCA world and providing a different perspective.”
• “As a board member you need to constantly try to evolve to a better version of yourself, but at the same time you have to evolve your peers around you as well. All with the end goal of evolving the organization.”
• “The duty of care as a scale-up board means to foresee crises, to recognize them and provide the CEO with the advice and challenges to enable the next phase of growth, without sitting in the CEO’s seat.”
• “As a board member you need to find a balance of being a guide (whereby you are able to ask the questions that need to be asked), an advisor (where you answer to key needs the Company has indicated it needs help), a controller (whereby you validate whether performance was in line with strategic plans) and a master (whereby you take critical decisions that need to be made). In order to address this balancing act, it is essential that there is constant self-reflection and a helicopter approach. Furthermore it is essential to ask insightful questions, to listen in order to create collective creativity, to act wisely and restrained, but with guts.”

To the class 8 of ScaleUpBoard – your participation and feedback was a gift to us of insights and learnings. Seeing the class as a group was an absolute highlight for us, as the first cohort to meet post-corona. Thank you for bringing your passion and purpose as (future) board members to the class. We wish you the best in the future and hope to stay connected!