Given the size of your company and your entrepreneurial temperament, you may not want to be encumbered by an independent board of directors. But if you are an aging CEO or even a younger one with plans to someday turn over the reins of power to the next generation, the steadying hand of a board that has a healthy dose of directors from outside of the family may be what the company needs to survive and prosper.

The real estate industry has experienced a roller coaster ride of challenges, opportunities, setbacks and unexpected surprises.

CREW Network, an association for advancing the success of women in commercial real estate, published a white paper focusing on whether women are continuing to move into corporate positions, what factors are impacting their progress, and what women are doing to overcome the economic downturn and increasing globalization to enhance their success.

“Commercial real estate leader” tends to evoke an image of a seasoned industry veteran, almost certainly male and most likely Caucasian. Developing Leaders — NAIOP members age 35 and under — are taking that image and turning it upside down by stepping into prime leadership roles, proving that traditional isn’t always the answer.