Are you considering applying for a board position in the near future? Two experts share their advice to help you prepare.
For many psychologists, a board position can feel like unfamiliar territory – reserved for people with finance degrees, decades of governance experience, or both.
In reality, the path onto a board is far more accessible than it appears, and many of the capabilities psychologists already bring to their clinical or professional work translate directly into the boardroom.
Ahead of the nomination period for APS's 2027 Board, we spoke with Lisa Cook, Founder and Managing Director of Get on Board Australia, and Michael Gorton AM FRACS (Hon) FANZCA (Hon) FAICD, a consultant at Russel Kennedy and current APS Board Director, to learn about the skills and mindsets that prepare someone for their first board role.
1. Get comfortable with the financial details
Finance is the thing everyone worries about most, says Cook. While different board positions will require a different level of financial acumen, the foundational elements to understand are:
- A profit and loss statement (also called a statement of income). This outlines what's coming in and what's going out over a period, usually reported month by month.
- A balance sheet. This is what the organisation owns (assets) and what it owes (liabilities), giving you a snapshot of financial health at a point in time.
You don't need to master every line item, she adds.
"You need to know what sort of story [the data is] painting about the financial health or the financial position of the organisation."
Tip: Cook suggests asking whoever manages the finances at your organisation how your role affects the bottom line.
"You bring in revenue as a psychologist, but you also represent a cost as an employee. Understanding that dynamic is a straightforward way to build financial literacy before you ever sit on a board."
Separately, Cook says it's worth understanding your organisation's accounting method if you have access to that information. Most organisations use either:
- Cash accounting – transactions are recorded when money actually changes hands; or
- Accrual accounting – transactions are recorded when they're earned or incurred, regardless of when the cash moves.
"Income doesn't always equal cash in the bank," says Cook.
Which method an organisation uses changes how you should interpret the numbers in front of you. A surplus on paper doesn't necessarily mean the organisation has cash sitting in the bank to spend right now – and a lean-looking period isn't always a sign of trouble. Knowing which method is in play stops you from misreading the story the report is telling.
"We have generally universal accounting principles that are pretty standard across the world," says Cook. "An explainer video – even one produced overseas – can get you most of the way there."
2. Connect your day-to-day role to the organisation's strategy
Financial literacy is only half the picture. Cook also flags strategic and business literacy as a foundational, non-negotiable board skill – and one you can start building right now, in your current job.
She encourages prospective board members to consider this: Can you explain how your role influences the strategic outcomes your organisation is pursuing?
"If you can't quite see the connection, ask someone in a position to join the dots – from 'Here's our strategic plan' to 'Here's how you fit into it.'"
And if it’s your first time on a board, it’s important not to rush in, says Michael Gorton.
“Sit back, observe and learn,” he says. “Ask about the big picture. What is [the organisation] seeking to achieve? How does this proposal contribute to our aims? What are the alternatives? Where does this proposal sit within our stated aims and business plan?”
Understanding the difference between the board and the executive team is also “imperative”, he adds.
“The board takes control of the “big picture” and hands over to the CEO and Executive to implement and manage. Stay out of the weeds.”
3. The three human skills to hone
When asked what separates capable board members from the rest, Cook points to a framework borrowed from the book The Intelligence Trap, which is referred to as a "taxonomy of wisdom."
Three capabilities stood out to her as essential for board members specifically:
- Intellectual humility: knowing that you don't know everything, and resisting the urge to jump to conclusions or assumptions.
- Epistemic curiosity: a genuine drive to get to the truth of an issue, asking the questions needed to understand what you're really facing rather than settling for the surface-level answer.
- Tolerance of ambiguity: accepting that boards operate inside constantly shifting contexts (economic, social, technological) and that some level of uncertainty is permanent, not a problem to be solved.
All three, she says, sit on top of one foundational trait: self-awareness.
This matters because there's a persistent myth that board members are meant to have all the answers. As Cook puts it, effective board members shift from "I have to know everything" to "I'm in control of helping us figure out how to find the best answer."
Gorton adds: “Board members, no matter who they represent in the membership, must act in the best interests of the organisation as a whole.”
“That said, a good board still has a range of perspectives, skills and backgrounds that they can bring to the task. Remember also that being on the board is a team sport. You are all in it together! So work together for the common cause – negotiate differences, understand alternative viewpoints, work out what is best for [the organisation] and its members.”
4. Don't chase AI certifications. Build your risk literacy instead
If you've been wondering whether you need to urgently upskill in AI or technology before you can be board-ready, Cook says "probably not", unless it's a genuine personal interest.
Her observation, having looked closely at how boards are approaching AI, is that almost all of the advice for board members ultimately comes down to risk management – understanding enough about a given technology to know how it applies to your organisation, spot the risks and see the opportunities. That's a very different (and much more achievable) bar than becoming an AI expert, she says.
Cook suggests focusing first on the three capabilities that remain constant regardless of what technology is trending – finance, risk and strategy.
"They're not going away, because money makes the world go round and every business has a strategy."
Layer your adaptability and curiosity on top of that foundation, and you will be equipped to navigate AI and other emerging areas of responsibility.
These include environmental compliance – adopting “green” solutions for energy use, minimising waste, recycling – and changes in regulatory oversight of the profession, says Gorton, who has 10 years of experience as Ahpra Chair and board member.
“Some review of the professionalism of [APS] members and breaches of those obligations by members will always be an important area of risk – and therefore Board oversight.”
5. Consider volunteer/committee experience
If you haven't held a formal governance role before, Cook says that's completely normal.
"Don't think that that excludes you from the board world," she says.
Cook's own board career began on the committee of her local triathlon club. Her advice to anyone waiting to feel qualified enough is "You never will, so start anyway".
Community, volunteer and association boards are a genuinely useful (and low-risk) entry point, she adds.
"The bar to join is often just membership and a willingness to contribute time and energy," she says.
You'll be exposed to governance language and considerations in a generally less complex environment.
From there, Cook's own path moved from her triathlon club board to a soccer club board, and eventually to boards with day-to-day operational staff – each step building on the network and experience from the last.
6. Write your board CV around your expertise
When writing your first board CV, Gorton says to “consider and be clear about what skills you bring, and the strengths and weaknesses of your training and background for the role.”
Cook suggests keeping the following in mind:
1) Know your audience
Before you write anything, get clear on which boards you're actually targeting and what they're likely to need from a first-time member.
"It's all about where you might want to join, but it's also about where you can join."
Your CV should be written for a specific audience – boards you've genuinely researched and have a realistic shot at.
2) Lead with your expertise, not your governance experience
Early in your board career, your professional expertise is your most valuable asset.
"At the beginning of your board career, you will lean heavily on your experience and your expertise more than you will your governance experience, because you likely don't have any."
"You have value. Your value just isn't in governance or board experience. It's probably around your expertise."
Cook also draws a sharp distinction between a credential and applied expertise. Ticking a box with a certificate doesn't demonstrate capability. Being able to show outcomes you've achieved does.
If you're weighing up whether to invest in a formal qualification before applying for a board role, ask yourself whether you can already point to evidence of applied judgement in your field instead.
3) Get your pitch checked by people who've sat on boards
Before you finalise anything, find people who know you professionally and have board experience themselves, and ask them to sense-check your positioning.
"The goal is making sure we're sending the right message to the right people," says Cook.
The takeaway
You don't need a finance degree, a governance certificate, or years of boardroom experience to start building towards a board role. What you need is a working understanding of the numbers, a clear line from your day job to the organisation's strategy, the humility and curiosity to keep learning, and a willingness to start somewhere small.
If APS's upcoming board applications have crossed your mind, this is a good time to start preparing.
“I have been a legal adviser to APS for some years and I am delighted to be able to “give back” in a different role,” says Gorton. “I have met many committed people in the APS over a number of years, and now I can also, hopefully, make a small contribution.”
Each year, APS members elect Directors to the APS Board. There are four Board positions for which elections will be held this year. The nomination period runs from 27 July 2026 to 28 September 2026. Learn about the positions, eligiblity criteria, and how to nominate.