Having the right people on your board may be the most valuable investment you make for the future of your firm.
As our readers know, we at Zweig Group encourage firms in this industry to adopt a strategic growth mindset. Some firm leaders think this might generally mean the usual levers, like bigger projects, increased revenue, increased market share and strategic hires. But one of the most powerful growth tools is often overlooked: who you have in your boardroom.
A well-constructed board of advisors can sharpen decision-making, steady your firm during transitions, and generate and develop new ideas for strategic growth. The challenge is knowing how to build one that truly adds value. The difference comes down to who you select and how you structure their role.
Some things to consider:
- Diverse expertise. Choose a small, carefully curated group of advisors whose skills, career paths, and perspectives differ from one another. The goal isn’t just diversity for its own sake, but to ensure your board can look at challenges from multiple angles with finance, operations, strategy, client relationships, and beyond. When you bring together people who think differently, you get richer discussions, fewer blind spots, and insights that have a better chance of moving the firm forward.
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Independence. The first and most important quality is independence. A board filled only with insiders runs the risk of becoming an echo chamber. Independent advisors don’t carry internal politics, equity positions, or historical loyalties into the discussion. We have said this before.
That neutrality allows them to raise the hard questions without hesitation. Some percentage of independence gives boards sharper clarity. It can help promote decisions being made with the firm’s best interests at heart, not through the lens of personal stakes or office dynamics. - Strategic fit. Not every leader has the right perspective, group engagement style or experience for the board room. The key is alignment between their expertise, strategic approach and your firm’s priorities and each member possessing the ability to analyze complex information. If your focus is geographic expansion, look for someone who’s led multi-office growth. If your challenge is succession planning, find someone who’s been through a leadership transition. If digital transformation is a blind spot, bring in an advisor who’s guided change in technology adoption. Strategic alignment ensures your board adds real value, not just prestige.
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Chemistry. Boards run on trust. Even the sharpest strategic thinker won’t help much if they can’t build rapport with your leadership team. Honesty, reliability, and an unwavering commitment to doing what’s right are fundamental to building trust. Chemistry doesn’t mean everyone agrees all the time, but it does means advisors can challenge ideas without making discussions personal. It means they know how to listen, read the room, and keep conversations productive.
Look for people who can be candid and collaborative. That balance is what turns board discussions into constructive, high-value dialogue. - Discipline. Effective boards operate with discipline and a collaborative spirit. Meaning board members take their role seriously. The right advisors will expect structured agendas, accurate financials, and follow-through on action items. They’ll hold leadership accountable, and they’ll model accountability themselves. This discipline has a ripple effect. Staff see it and gain confidence. Clients, lenders, and potential partners see it and trust your firm’s stability. Well-run boards project professionalism, both inside and outside the firm.
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Compensation. If you want high-caliber advisors, you need to treat the role with respect by paying members fairly. A token honorarium may attract goodwill, but it won’t attract the level of talent that can fundamentally strengthen your firm. Compensation signals that you value their contribution. More importantly, it reframes the role as an investment, not a courtesy.
The right advisor can help you avoid costly missteps – or identify opportunities you might otherwise miss. That’s worth more than the expense of their seat at the table. - Role clarity. Finally, clarity matters. Advisors are not on the board to act as managers. Their job is to advise, to challenge, to identify the blind spots, and to help leadership see around corners. Setting those boundaries keeps the relationship healthy. Advisors add perspective without undermining management. They bring strategic value without stepping into day-to-day execution.
Putting it together.
When you bring together independence, perspective, strategic alignment, chemistry, discipline, fair compensation, and role clarity, you create a board that elevates your leadership team rather than distracting it.
The right board helps you move faster on decisions, operate with more credibility, and prepare for transitions with confidence. It steadies your culture, strengthens governance, and projects professionalism to clients, staff, and partners alike.
The payoff is significant. Firms with strong boards make better decisions and make them faster. They avoid pitfalls, spot opportunities earlier, and signal to the market that they are serious businesses, not just collections of talented professionals.
If your current board is made up only of familiar faces who all share the same stories, it may be time to rethink who’s sitting at the table. Adding the right advisors won’t dilute your culture – it will protect it.
In a business climate where talent, capital, and strategy are all moving faster than ever, having a board of advisors built with the right people may be the most valuable investment you make in the future of your firm.
Ready to strengthen your boardroom? The right advisors don’t just fill seats – they shape outcomes. Zweig Group’s Board Search Advisory services connect AEC firms with independent, high-impact board members who bring strategy, perspective, and capacity to drive growth and governance. Learn more here!
Chris Catton is director of Talent consulting services at Zweig Group. Contact her at ccatton@zweiggroup.com.
