I think you actually do not have very much power as a board member. During normal operations, you can give advice to the CEO, but you have no power beyond the “access to the CEO”. If the CEO resigns or is being forced out, you briefly have an important power, but it is a very narrow power, the ability to find and vote in a replacement CEO.
The position is very public and respected so it may feel like “a lot of power” but quite often even a mid level employee at the organization has more real power over the direction of the company than a board member does.
I think you actually do not have very much power as a board member. During normal operations, you can give advice to the CEO, but you have no power beyond the “access to the CEO”. If the CEO resigns or is being forced out, you briefly have an important power, but it is a very narrow power, the ability to find and vote in a replacement CEO.
The position is very public and respected so it may feel like “a lot of power” but quite often even a mid level employee at the organization has more real power over the direction of the company than a board member does.