In 2008, I sat at the back of the Institute boardroom, clutching my notebook like a talisman. I wasn’t a board member yet. I was just “Member, Member Services Committee,” but you could not have convinced me otherwise. Every meeting was a masterclass. Every whisper from the Committee Chairman was a lesson in agenda control. Every casual joke from the Institute’s CEO / Secretary was a calculated move to steer decisions without raising alarms. I learned something most people never figure out until it’s too late: Boardroom success is not about having a seat. It’s about having a spine. You…