Mike's Minutes: Your Personal Board of Directors

Whether it is a crew of Superheroes, Avengers, or slick boardroom executives, anyone who believes in continuous improvement should have a personal board of directors.

There have been several studies of this concept and it’s not for everyone. However, it is for anyone looking to advance their career, anyone who has extremely high goals, and anyone who has an open mind to approach life in a more fulfilling way. See science article here for more info: https://www.sciencemag.org/careers/2020/03/personal-board-directors-can-help-you-navigate-challenges-your-career#:~:text=As%20Smith%20sees%20it%2C%20a,A%20personal%20board%20of%20directors%3F

All of this boils down to accountability.

If you really want to achieve those goals you set for yourself, then tracking your progress through accountability is a good start. Your personal board of directors can hold you accountable and be a good group to lean on in both good and bad times.

You will go through peaks and valleys on any journey. There is no straight line to the top.

I’ve found the personal board of directors to be the most impactful when you’re down in the dumps, when you don’t want to wake up early to do that workout, when you’ve just lost out on a big opportunity.

You’ve heard it 100 times – time is all we have. By utilizing your personal board to help you bounce back from the valley of despair you take back control of your time and get back to the grind much faster. Whether it’s getting in a tough workout or simply talking out the ‘loss’ you feel you’ve just went through, both of those outlets allow you to move on quicker. As we like to say ‘Next!’.

If you don’t have a personal board for yourself, consider starting with 2 people. Bounce ideas around, talk about your life goals and what you want to accomplish both personally and professionally.

The real value from your board comes from being around like-minded people in your best of times and in your worst of times. They will allow you to mentally reset and get your focus back very quickly. Dwelling on the past is a complete waste of time and does nothing for you. Your board will call you out…and it’s exactly what you will need to get back in the game quicker.

The make up of your board could be anyone. I’d highly suggest that one quality be there in every person – They have the same outlook and mindset on life as you do. It sounds simple, but it’s not. Trust your guy on this. Each person should bring alittle something different, but their outlook on life and what grounds them will be the same.

Whether your board is made up of a comedian, a driller, an insurance nerd, and a stock trader, the profession does not matter. The mindset does. When these people lean in to help you in any time, you will be stronger both in the short and long-term.

Now go make sure you have an awesome superhero board to hold yourself accountable! The discipline this will create will make you accomplish all your goals that much faster!

About Author

Mike Smith

Mike Smith is a Client Advisor at Lockton focusing on complex risk solutions. Management Liability, in the E&O, Cyber, Fidelity Bond, and D&O arena, is his focus for innovative risk-transfer alternatives.