Episode 28: Why You Need A Personal Board of Directors
In this episode we talk about the concept of a Personal Board of Directors (or a personal committee) – the group of influential teachers, managers, friends and colleagues (even heroes) who offer us a new way of exploring, managing and shaping the decisions we make as leaders and humans. We also offer the ideas that our Boards are comprised of people we know, and also people we’ve never met, as well as teammates, kids and other people in our lives.
Eric talks about a former manager, John Hickson, to whom one of our favorite lines: “A lack of clarity will cost us dearly” is attributed. John’s voice continues to shape Eric’s view of creating clarity in crisis and chaos.
Nayla also talks about a former manager, Amir Ziv, an accounting professor turned dean, who taught her the value of letting other people operate in their zone of genius without jealousy or threat, while honoring your own area to shine.
We also talk about the heroes and influencers we have yet to meet:
Eric talks about Dave Grohl’s wisdom and exemplary humanity.
Nayla shares her gratitude for Anne Lamott’s lessons on taking chances with “shitty first drafts” and deciding – rather than succumbing – to worry or not worry about certain things.
We also celebrate the good fortune that has both of us appreciating the insights and counsel of our respective 12-year old daughters – it turns out they are two of the best mentors we could ever ask for.
Finally, we leave our listeners with the guidance to look for those who challenge and support you, who help you see problems and opportunities in a new light, and who can serve as your personal committee of advisors when you need one. We acknowledge that our personal committee or board may need updating as our career grows and our lives change, so we avoid the echo chamber or the trap of a fan base. Eric even recommends printing out an org chart of advisors as a visual reminder.
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Resources we mention in this episode:
Dave Grohl’s epic drum battle with 10-year old Nandi Bushell.
The work of Anne Lamott
The work of Parker Palmer
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