This is something that EACH ambitious, smart, intelligent person needs. A personal board of directors.
From what I know, most businesses have this thing they call the ‘board of directors’.
Typically has seven or eight people. The collective is responsible for ensuring the company is running ok and growing and all that. Even the founders and the CEOs report to this board. And interestingly, the board can dismiss the CEO if they are not performing well. This is precisely what happened to Travis Kalanick from Uber. And there are many more examples of that.
So with that, here’s the idea.
What if you get a board of directors for your personal brand? For your career? For your life?
This board will ensure that you’re doing ok, make sure you’re ticking off all that you plan for, and for your general well-being because they care about your success.
I have one. And I am of the opinion that everyone must have a personal board of directors aka Brain Trust. Not only does it help you in your business, but it also helps you live a good life outside it.
So, How to Build a Personal Board of Directors for Career and Life Growth?
How can you establish your own Brain Trust and make it work for you? I break it in three parts?
Part 1 – Identify the Right People
Here’s how.
#1
To begin, you must look for people who are more accomplished than you.
People who inspire you and with whom you always want to engage in long conversations. Your personal board cannot include anyone who can’t teach you things you don’t already know.
#2
Your personal board should be composed of individuals who truly care about your success.
For example, if a stranger walked up to me, I would be fine with whether or not they succeeded. However, if it’s my people, say Chandni or AK, you bet I’m interested in whether they have accomplished everything on their to-do list for the day. (C + AK, if you’re reading this, everything on track?)
#3
The folks on your personal board should have enough time and bandwidth to invest in you, so that they can get to know you.
Without getting a handle on you or your life, they simply wouldn’t know how to steer you in the right direction. Ideally, people on your board should be familiar with your context, such as whether you’re busy, broke, or doing well, and be able to offer you honest feedback. They should act as a mirror for you.
#4
Your personal board should be made of people you never ever want to let down and to whom you feel a strong sense of accountability towards.
If any of them offer you guidance or direction, you should be highly motivated to work super hard towards achieving the desired outcome. The reason being, if you fail to meet their expectations, especially over a long period of time, it may cause the entire board to crumble.
Final Word
Thing is, your board doesn’t need to be of the best people in the world. It just needs to have who’s the best for you. If you are still in doubt, here’s a checklist.
- Your mentor
- Your best friend
- Your favourite family member (spouse / parent / sibling etc)
- A professional coach or your boss
- An industry expert
- Networking contract to help you widen your circles
Part 2 – Recruit Your Board
Once you have identified the right giants, it’s time to invite them to join your personal board.
Sometimes, you must be willing to play the long game in these situations. For example, let’s say I want Elon Musk to join my board. I mean, Elon Musk probably won’t be speaking to me anytime soon. However, could I do things over the next five years that would make me someone he wants to speak to? If I can provide value to his life, maybe he will pay attention to mine. Our relationship must be symbiotic for a win-win outcome, you see?
Case in point?
Eric Jorgenson, the man who proved his worth to Naval Ravikant by writing his book, and David O. Sacks who did the same for Peter Thiel.
Part 3 – Make It Work
You must schedule regular meetings to keep things on track.
I do it monthy. In these meetings, you can conduct a structured review to discuss what is working, what isn’t, and what could be done better moving forward. You put forward your points, and you keep yourself open for theirs. All for one, and one for all.
Want to know some folks who actually got a personal board for themselves, and brilliantly made it work too? Mark Zuckerburg, the CEO of Facebook. Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Group. Warren Buffet, the billionaire. Oprah Winfrey, the media mogul. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Basically folks you can trust, and those who can help you get closer to your goals every day.
So yea! This is it.
If you didn’t know what a Personal Board of Directors or Brain Trusts were before today, you’re welcome. If you knew what they were, but weren’t sure if you wanted one – this is your sign to start working towards one NOW. I’m serious, go start right RIGHT NOW!
PS: Oh, if I know you, I would love to join your personal board. I am on DM away.
PPS: NOTES I made while writing this…
