Influence with a board comes from trust and relationships and both take time to build…For me, a few things matter. First, understand the business as well as anyone at the table. If you understand the commercial drivers, the numbers and the pressures people are under, your advice becomes relevant rather than theoretical. Second, give a view, not just a list of risks and be willing to say the uncomfortable thing when it needs saying, ideally early, in the right forum and with a solution in mind. Third, invest in relationships: some of the most important conversations happen over a coffee (or one on one in someone’s office), not in a formal setting. Finally, be the same person in every room. Integrity and consistency are what give a General Counsel credibility when it really matters, often in a crisis, when the board needs someone who will be calm, objective and straight.