Creating your personal A-Team

As a leader, you must also ensure that you have reflective space for yourself. Leadership can be isolating, so it is crucial to create opportunities for support that meets your needs. 

Creating your own Personal Board of Directors (PBOD) can help – this is a group of individuals (from in and outside the workplace) who can act as a sounding board and help you when you face a dilemma, when you need affirmation, or to challenge you.

Your PBOD will typically need to include people with one or more of the following qualities:

• Someone who is a major support for you personally and professionally

• Someone who can help you be creative

• Someone who is good at coming up with practical solutions

• Someone who has years of experience and accumulated wisdom

• Someone who you can accept criticism from

• Someone who knows you better than you know yourself

• Someone with relevant skills and expertise 

• Someone who is a role model for you.

Remember this is an honorary, unpaid role, so you may need to find ways of reciprocating or showing thanks to the members of your PBOD.