Danielle Lehrer:

Commercialising the change-makers

After working in the financial and technology industries for so long, Danielle was pretty clued on to the changes and issues the industry was facing. But more than that, she was able to see how those issues could be solved. The only problem?

The rapid pace of change was at odds with the ethos of the industry, where larger, well-established companies were only too happy to remain stagnant and unwilling to accept any disruption or change to their status quo.

But Danielle isn’t one to just sit idly by, and she felt the pull to do more to encourage acceptance of those changes. Danielle concurs with the belief that the entire world is on the brink of a new revolution, and it’s this belief that encouraged her to seek out the type of career progression that would help this change be better accepted: a position on a board.

However, Danielle faced the all too common problem that many would-be board directors face: how could she go about actually doing this?

Luckily, she came across a post on LinkedIn by Future Directors CEO Paul Smith, that was advertising a scholarship for the Board Ready Program. This gave her the ability to quickly put her plan into action.

The benefits she has received from the Future Director’s program can be summed up in three succinct words: Discovery, Focus, Dedication. The program enabled her to explore what she wanted, honing it down into a precise focus. Danielle has always believed that when you are clear on your motivation and passion, you are more likely to get what you want, and doing the program has helped her achieve exactly that.

Another great aspect of the program was gaining the ability to seek out board mentors. Danielle has been a mentor for various startups, but had not thought about having a mentor for herself that could assist in her exploration and achievement of a board role, and she’s found this to be a priceless addition to her network.

Prior to doing the Future Director’s program, Danielle was able to successfully achieve board roles. However, she was unsure about what those rules truly meant to her, and was unaware of how effective her impact could be. Now she’s really focused on where her passions lie, and how she can help the most.

While the boardroom used to have the mantra “Make more money, keep the shareholders happy”, those shareholders are now the younger generations that many boardroom are refusing to acknowledge. Programs like the one run by Future Director’s is key in shifting the focus away from the perceived (and largely false) disadvantages of the changing generation, and towards the endless benefits it brings. These changes should be approached with more enthusiasm and less like they’re a threat to the standard state of affairs.

The world is redefining success. If you’re full of similar motivation and passion like Danielle, reach out to us today to discover how you can help change the world too.

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