The real reason more entrepreneurs are taking up Chair positions: They’re wired differently. When you’ve built something from scratch, you learn lessons that no corporate career alone can provide. Here’s why entrepreneurs make brilliant Chairs: - They’re performance-obsessed. If founders don’t deliver, they don’t eat. That urgency carries into every board conversation. - They’re used to building consensus - convincing investors, customers, and teams to believe in something that doesn’t yet exist. - They’re fluent in storytelling - because they’ve had to persuade, fundraise, and lead under pressure, often with their backs against the wall. - And above all, their journey has been all about momentum. Entrepreneurs know how to bring people to the table and move things forward, come what may. It’s not the “traditional” route into the boardroom. But having done this myself, I can tell you: the entrepreneurial skillset translates brilliantly to Chair and NED roles. Applying those entrepreneurial skills beyond my own companies has been one of the most rewarding reinventions of my career. 📷 - with the one and only amazing Mariella Frostrup
I love this post, thank you! Now that I am unleashing (and believing in) my full entrepreneurial spirit, I was wondering what would be next. What a brilliant opportunity to be able to help other businesses steer their way through threats and open eyes to opportunity. Thanks for sharing
Debbie Wosskow, OBE Entrepreneurs bring an edge to the boardroom that’s hard to replicate, because they’ve lived the stakes. The urgency, the ability to navigate ambiguity, the deep understanding of what it actually takes to build something from nothing, that mindset transforms board conversations. It’s not just about governance, it’s about momentum. And founders know how to create that even when the odds are against them. Appreciate you shining a light on this path, it’s one more way entrepreneurship keeps evolving.
Absolutely, it is a great skills match and companies benefit tremendously in the long run.
It’s not experience on paper, it’s experience under pressure. That’s the entrepreneurial edge in the boardroom.
Yes, Debbie. Entrepreneurs know how to make momentum out of thin air, and that skill is priceless when you’re guiding a board.
Debbie Wosskow, OBE - Spot on—founders bring urgency, storytelling, and momentum that transform boardrooms.
So true 💛 Debbie, The lessons learned from building something from scratch give entrepreneurs a different kind of edge. ✨
Such an insightful perspective! Entrepreneurs are wired for action, and that’s exactly what boards need
Good to see how you highlight the unique value entrepreneurs bring beyond their own companies. Debbie Wosskow, OBE
Tech Leader | Keynote Speaker | Women’s Leadership & Wellbeing Coach | Author of Octopus on a Treadmill | TEDx | NED | Mum
3wEntrepreneurs in the boardroom are like chefs in a war zone, decisive, resourceful, and allergic to fluff. They don’t just advise, they activate. I’ve seen how their bias for action cuts through the “we should really…” fog. When done right, it’s less about title, more about traction. This shift is long overdue, and very welcome.