I meet a number of rich ex C-Suite execs in Fortune 500 companies reinventing themselves in various Board roles today. Few possess the combination of skills, expertise and behaviours to also get rich advising entrepreneurs. One trait stands out in the small pool of those who do, they are exceptional in putting something in front of the entrepreneur that is demonstrably in their self-interest to accept. Most former CEOs default to “pitching” their viewpoint and expecting acceptance, as they would in their former role. They repeat that process when seeking to attract others to that business, yet no one wants to be “pitched” to, not least by a highly assertive individual who for a large part of their career expected their demands to be met or exceeded.
