Establishing a Career Advisory Board

Your career needs a Board of Directors. If you don’t pick them, randomness will. Not investors—5 humans who tilt your next 5 years: 1. Sponsor – says your name in rooms you’re not in 2. Mentor – sharpens judgment (not just skills) 3. Recruiter – keeps you market-priced and interview-ready 4. Peer-critic – calls your bluff, fixes blind spots 5. Customer voice – keeps you building what matters No, one person can’t be all five. Aur haan, dosti ≠ governance. Build your Board in 7 days (15 min/day) Day 1: List names for each seat (max 2 per seat). Day 2: Write a 3-line forwardable bio (Role | ₹Impact | Proof link). Day 3: Ping your Sponsor with a specific bet you want to lead next quarter. Day 4: Ask your Mentor one hard question you’re avoiding. Day 5: Share a WIP deck with your Peer-critic; ask for brutal edits. Day 6: Call a Recruiter you trust; calibrate title, comp, hot roles. Day 7: 10-min chat with a Customer; extract one pain you can solve this week. Keep it running (low lift, high ROI) Monthly update (5 bullets): win, metric, lesson, roadblock, next bet. One give per ask: intro, teardown, template—value flows both ways. Rotate seats yearly: new stage, new Board. Quick self-check If a dream role opened tomorrow, who would: - push your resume to the top? (Sponsor/Recruiter) - vouch for your impact? (Customer) - prep you in 24 hours? (Mentor/Peer-critic) If you don’t have names, you don’t have leverage—yet. Akela mat daudo—sahi log saath lao Don’t run alone. Pick your Board and compound momentum.

“𝘿𝙧. 𝙈𝙘𝙆𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧?” “𝙎𝙞𝙧, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙚.” “𝘿𝙧. 𝘿𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙡 𝙈𝙘𝙆𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙮, 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙚.” I get messages like these every day. In my comments, replies, emails, and inboxes. And while I deeply appreciate that many see me as worthy of being a mentor, let me share a hard truth: 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡, 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙥 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙪𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙧. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝. Your career is like running a business. In the beginning, you’re a startup: you're testing, failing, learning, and improving. And as you grow, the stakes rise: you’re scaling operations, managing people, and making high-impact decisions. The usual advice? Get a mentor. But let's be honest, mentorship alone has limits. Challenges will come that one mentor alone can’t solve. One mentor won’t have all the answers. They may not even be available when you need them most. What you need is a "personal board of advisors." Just like companies have boards to guide their biggest moves, your career deserves the same structure. Build your board with: - 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨. - 𝙐𝙣𝙗𝙞𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙨𝙪𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙩𝙝. - 𝘽𝙡𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙤𝙣. They don’t need to know they’re on your board. They don’t need to meet. This is informal, but it’s incredibly effective. And as your career evolves, so should your board. Rotate people in and out depending on where you are and what you need. This isn’t about waiting for the perfect mentor. It’s about designing a system of support that’s dynamic, strategic, and built for growth. Stop waiting for the perfect mentor. Build your board and run your career like the CEO of your life.

Scientists, let’s talk about “finding a mentor” versus “drafting a board of advisors for your career” ⤵ There’s only one person who I’ve ever referred to as “my mentor." He was the PI of a lab I worked in during high school. He had high expectations which he knew I could live up to - even when I wasn’t so confident. In hindsight, I see how he consistently went out of his way to find funding, publication, and conference opportunities for me. He initiated conversations about PhD programs and fellowship applications. I didn’t grow up in a family of scientists, but he made the path to “becoming a scientist” clear. As a true mentor, he ✅ Used his position to connect me with new opportunities ✅ Advocated for me in rooms I wasn’t in ✅ Showed me a clear path to my desired career ✅ Pushed me to aim higher than I believed I could ✅ Helped me develop new skills I think finding a single person who checks all of those boxes is incredible, but also a rarity. What's slightly more attainable: ➡ A board of advisors for your career ⬅ Under this model, you curate a network of folks who you rely on for mentorship. You don’t need to find a single person who can guide you to your dream career. These folks are people who: ✅Are more experienced or more skilled in areas you want to develop (note: this doesn’t always mean they’re “more senior” than you) ✅Advocate for you when you're not around ✅Have achieved something you want to emulate ✅Believe in you in the moments when things get tough ✅Have differing perspectives and thus can challenge and improve your thinking Just as a company’s board of directors is strategically and deliberately made up of people with different backgrounds and expertise, a diverse board of advisors can help you avoid blind spots as you build your career - and really your life. I think this sort of career guidance and support will absolutely accelerate anyone’s career - but it can be just as useful coming from a board of 4-5 people, rather than in the form of a single mentor. Just some musings for a Monday morning #linkedinnewsaustralia

The Rx for Professional Growth: Build Your Personal Board of Directors You're a dedicated medical professional – constantly learning, evolving, and navigating complex challenges. But what if there's a powerful, often overlooked, strategy that could transform your professional trajectory and decision-making? "The best advice I ever got was to surround myself with people smarter than I am." – Shonda Rhimes In our demanding profession, we're immersed in continuing medical education and seek traditional mentorship. Yet, for me, one approach has truly redefined my career: cultivating my personal board of directors. Over the past decade, this trusted group has been my core advisory team—guiding me through tough clinical decisions, navigating career transitions, and even finding balance in the demanding world of medicine. These aren't just colleagues; they're individuals genuinely invested in my progress, offering distinct expertise and unique perspectives from diverse specialties and life experiences. The truth is, everyone has their own superpower, and I'm always stronger when I lean on my friends for theirs. If you're part of this board, you know I value your insights deeply. And if you're reading this, chances are you've been that trusted voice when I needed it most. Thank you for your time and investment in my growth. Your personal board is a diverse ecosystem of trusted advisors, each bringing a specialized skill set. Imagine having a seasoned clinician for complex cases, a financial expert, an administrative guru, and an innovative thinker—all focused on your success. My board has evolved, but certain archetypes remain invaluable. Think of them by the unique strengths they bring: The Master Clinician: Someone who's faced the most complex clinical and professional challenges you will, offering unparalleled diagnostic and treatment wisdom. The Network Architect: The person who intuitively connects you with the right individuals and opens doors to new opportunities or collaborations. The Unvarnished Truth-Teller: Gives honest, constructive feedback—even when it's tough to hear, ensuring you stay on the right track. The Strategic Innovator: Challenges assumptions, pushes unconventional approaches, and helps you identify opportunities others might miss. The Implementation Driver: Translates ideas into concrete steps, provides accountability, and helps you overcome analysis paralysis. Building these relationships takes time and effort, but the return is immeasurable. The confidence from informed decisions, the opportunities from their networks, and the professional growth from being challenged—these benefits compound, strengthening your career and well-being in medicine. Extra points to anyone who can name the character addressing the Justice League below. #Leadership #PhysicianWellbeing #HealthcareLeadership #Mentorship 

Do you have a personal boardroom? You are the CEO of your career, so why not have a board! This is an intentional grouping of people you trust, who can steer you in the right direction, give honest feedback, and root for you. Harvard Business Review found that individuals with mentors or advisors are 36% more likely to feel fulfilled in their careers. Having people who know and understand your goals can make those big decisions clearer, and bring insights you might not see on your own. Just as one encourages diverse perspectives for improved decision making, fill your boardroom with a mix of perspectives: a mentor, an industry pro, family, a friend, a colleague, it could even be someone who doesn’t know you, but whose views you respect. Each brings their unique spin and can help guide you in different areas of your journey. Authors Amanda Scott (https://lnkd.in/dv3xhGgg) and Zella King (https://lnkd.in/d5xKfQDX) developed a set of cards to help you build your Personal Boardroom. (www.personalboardroom.com)  They suggest 6-12 roles including: ·        Inspirer- Inspires new ideas and brings fresh thinking. ·        Anchor – holds me to account for the balance between work and the rest of my life. ·        Expert – gives advice based on their professional, technical or sector expertise. ·        Nerve-giver – strengthens my resolve at difficult times and gives me a sense of purpose. ·        Challenger – challenges my decisions and thinking and helps me see my errors and blind spots. ·        Improver – gives constructive feedback on my performance and development. ·        Connector – makes introductions and connects me with people who can help me. ·        Customer voice – helps me understand markets, customers and business opportunities. ·        Navigator – can tell me who I need to know and who does what. ·        Influencer – works behind the scenes to win support and helps me get things done. ·        Sponsor – speaks out to endorse me and my ideas to senior or important people. ·        Unlocker – provides access to resources (e.g., money, data, people’s time). It does not have to be these 12 roles and I struggled to find 12! And the names (or lack of names), gives plenty of room for reflection! Who’s in your boardroom? Or if you’re building one, who do you want to be in it? #Mentorship #Networking #CareerDevelopment #GrowthMindset

𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 “No one lives long enough to know everything they need to know starting from scratch. To be successful, we must find and leverage people who have already paid the price to learn what we want to know.” In my two decades of professional experience, I have not only observed this truth but also lived it. While lone wolves can indeed succeed, those who surround themselves with the right people significantly increase their probability of success. Their achievements become multifold, and, importantly, they have people to celebrate with at the points of success. I coach C-suite leaders, top-notch consultants, and startup founders. Trust me, none of them are solving problems that haven't been addressed in some shape or form before. I strongly advise them to create their own personal ‘Board of Advisors,’ and I would like to recommend the same to every ambitious professional. We all benefit from having a Board of Advisors that includes: 1. A Senior Industry Professional: Someone who has been there and done that and can play a mentor role. Ideally, this person is from the same or a similar industry or walk of life that you are trying to follow. 2. A Coach: Someone who can play the role of a sounding board, accountability partner. Someone who can help you play at peak performance by helping you identify and overcome your weaknesses and derailers 3. Next Gen: Someone from the younger generation who can offer perspectives you might never have considered and keep you abreast of the latest trends. How to Find Them? - As they say, "If you truly seek, you can even find God." Reach out to people in your network and leverage LinkedIn.  - Be open to reciprocation; for instance, a senior industry leader might mentor you, and you can play the Next Gen role for them.  - Also, be open to churn. It might not click the first time or every time. Keep reaching out to more people until you find those who work best with you. Have you considered having your personal Board of Advisors? If yes, how is it working for you? If not, what is preventing you from having one? #learning #mentorship #professionalgrowth

Most people talk about finding a mentor to guide their career, but here’s a better approach—build a personal board of advisors. Promotions aren’t just about who you know; they’re about having different perspectives guiding your decisions. How to Build Your Personal Board of Advisors: 1. Diversify your advisors: Include mentors from outside your department or even outside your industry. A regulatory expert or someone in commercialization might provide game-changing insights you’d never get from clinical colleagues. 2. Lean on different advisors for different needs: Need leadership advice? Call a senior colleague. Need insight into cross-functional collaboration? Reach out to someone in pharmacovigilance. 3. Make it a two-way street: Offer value back to your advisors—it’s not just about taking. Relationships that last are mutually beneficial. Getting promoted is about growth and visibility. A personal board of advisors gives you a range of perspectives that helps you navigate challenges and position yourself as a well-rounded leader. Think about 3-4 people you trust to guide your career—inside and outside your field. That’s your personal board. Reach out today to keep those connections strong.

👩🏽⚕️ Want to advance your career? Consider building a personal board of advisors. Having a loyal personal board of advisors who keep me accountable has been enormously important to me as I transitioned career from medicine to investing. Over the years I've carefully curated a personal advisory board to help me with navigating a portfolio career. They include:  👩🏻⚕️ Someone who has lived experience of what you want to do in life 🏄🏽♀️ A sponsor who will champion you in rooms you're not in 👨🏻🦳 A mentor who might guide you through key career decisions 💃🏽 A connector who helps you expand your network 👨🏻⚕️ A close friend who knows all your foibles who can give you tough love & thoughtful criticism when required 🌍 If you're thinking about starting a personal board of advisors, consider a diverse group of people who have your best interests at heart. I’ve tried to mix mine up with diversity in age (they range from 32 to 80 years old) and also diversity of career, ethnicity & economic backgrounds. All my personal board of advisors bring strong & diverse opinions to the table for which I am very grateful. #career #femaleinvestor #personalboard #healthtech #careeradvice

The importance of having a mentor is overrated. You need a PERSONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS. A group of people, all with different backgrounds and expertise, who can guide you through the ups, downs, and pivots of a career. Formal corporate mentor programs are great, but in order for someone to be a game changer in your life, there needs to be organic rapport and inherent trust. That can't be manufactured. If you're not clicking with an assigned mentor, leverage them to get introductions to others. Building your Board of Directors is a numbers game. Meet with a lot of people, and you'll find a few who you click with. To do an audit of your current Board of Directors, here are a few key board seats we all need: ✅ CHAMPION: Someone who is advocating for me and my success behind closed doors ✅ STRATEGIZER: Someone who I can go to for advice on interpersonal workplace dynamics ✅ ADVISOR: Someone who can provide sound guidance on important career decisions ✅ ROLE MODEL: Someone I look up to who I may not have a relationship with ✅ SHERPA: Someone who has navigated similar personal life decisions who I can talk to about their experiences ✅ ALLY: Three peers who do similar work who I talk to regularly COMMENT below with how you've filled your board seats. How did you get connected with the people you rely on for advice?  

You don't need to figure it out by yourself. Not knowing all the answers does not make you inadequate. Needing help isn't a sign of weakness. Accelerate your success by creating your own personal board of advisors. Unlike more experienced mentors, your personal board of advisors can include peers who bring different experiences. These advisors can provide unique perspectives to help you advance in your career. Here are some tips to create your board: BE SPECIFIC Before you set out to create your board, identify areas you would like guidance on, the goals you want to achieve, and how someone might help you. ESTABLISH BOARD Make a list of individuals you would like to invite to be on your personal board. Identify individuals who come from different backgrounds, experiences, industries, and geographies who can provide unique perspectives and viewpoints. GIVE BACK Remember these people are devoting their time and efforts to your success. Ask them what you can do to help them. Making sure the relationship is mutually beneficial will provide the best results for all. TRACK PROGRESS Evaluate your progress and your board. Are you making progress? Are you taking their advice? If not, think about why not and consider if you have the right board advisors. Who should be on your personal board? #leadership #careers #beyondbarriers