Thomas Jones discusses his path to serving on corporate boards, which primarily came through relationships and referrals rather than searches. He was attractive as a candidate due to his strong finance background and ability to clearly explain complex topics. Jones emphasizes the importance of listening more than talking in the boardroom, and positioning disagreements carefully to be perceived as trying to reach a better conclusion. He also highlights the value of elevating the people around you and helping others succeed.
When it comes to race, Jones focuses on getting people of color into senior leadership ranks to become credible board candidates. He believes the black proportion of directors is unlikely to grow significantly beyond the current low teens percentage unless there is a larger pool of black executives to draw from. Jones is doubtful that quotas or mandates can drive lasting progress; rather, he thinks companies will follow the models of successful businesses that have diverse boards and strong results.
Jones advises aspiring directors to think of their role as making the other directors and management team perform better. The goal should be to make a contribution that elevates others, not to be the superstar yourself. He encourages caring enough to help promising candidates get the assistance they need to advance. While Jones is unsure if structural changes like term limits are the answer, he believes if companies see diversity driving success at top organizations, they will embrace it themselves.
