Being on a board is not just about showing up for the meetings. A board member needs to materially contribute to the success of the business.

The thorniest business problems will surface at the board meetings, and the different, sharp opinions help to better explore the poles of the arguments to make better decisions.

While there's no substitute for real experience, I believe it helps to hear and share stories of resourcefulness in action -- almost like case studies in school.

The best board members aren't elected by default. CEOs that set themselves up with their choice of board member -- which means getting more than one term sheet and doing extensive reference checking -- are better off.

Most companies don't have a good mechanism to give the CEO real, honest feedback.

As a decision maker, you rely on information being passed to you by the people who report to you. As the CEO, however, you cannot rely solely on this information. You also need to 'dip' down into your organization and learn directly from employees at all levels and virtually all skill sets.

Part of the magic of a startup is the fear of death. You have only so much money in the bank, and if you don't get to the right milestone before you run out, then the company goes under -- it's over.

The experts typically know where the other best-in-the-world talents are currently working and can help you recruit them in with a credible intro.

I wouldn't suggest that being resourceful has anything to do with doing something illegal or unethical, but I've definitely noticed a pattern of being 'creative.'

It's just not possible to be a real partner if you aren't materially participating. I believe even the busiest business owners must drive a carpool, pack a lunch, help with homework, make a breakfast or dinner, and consistently attend school events.

It's really hard to break through the clutter and get the attention of the top investors, as they typically only look at deals that come in from a warm, credible referral. There's absolutely nothing more credible than getting an endorsement from a well-known subject matter expert who has already put their own money into your company.

An approachable and authentic CEO is essential to fostering a high-performance, open communications culture.

For me, the brightest years at IronPort were without a doubt the darkest years at home.

I don't like sweating the details, and I'm pretty disorganized. To be a better leader, I need to stay on top of these shortcomings, and being reminded really helps.

Feedback for leaders is often nuanced and difficult to deliver. That said, hearing you are passive-aggressive from 10 different people described 10 different ways becomes hard to ignore.

Be generous with your time and money -- it has an amazingly fast payback. Be in the moment with everyone you love -- and this frequently means tuning out work completely. And drive slow in parking lots.

Nothing helps make a leader more approachable than admitting your struggles, screw-ups and behind-the-scenes thinking on hard calls. If the leader makes this a priority, the whole company will be more open and methodical learning from failure.

Whatever vocation you decide on, track down the best people in the world at doing it and surround yourself with them.

As a first-time CEO, I wasn't sure if I would scale to run IronPort long-term. But I wanted a legitimate shot at it.

At the core, coaching authenticity is complicated -- some might say impossible. Telling someone to be authentic sounds pretty low calorie, especially to a founder plowing through a list of product and operational goals. But it's important.