Benefits of Having a Personal Advisory Board

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 

The most overlooked skill in career growth? Strategic relationships. Not just mentors. Not just peers. → 80% of all jobs (including executive roles) are filled through networking and personal connections. (Source: LinkedIn Editors, 2025) I didn’t ask for a seat at the table. At 27, someone I trusted pulled out the chair before I knew I needed one. That moment changed everything. And now? I see the same silent pattern in high achievers every day: They don’t stall because they’re unprepared. They stall because they’re unremembered. You don’t rise by being good alone. You rise when your name is spoken in rooms you haven’t entered yet. That doesn’t happen by accident. It happens by design. That’s why you need to build your Invisible Board of Allies™ before you need a bailout. Here are 7 essential roles to future-proof your career: 1/ The Sponsor Advocates for you in rooms you're not in. → You don’t ask them to fight for you. They already are. 2/ The Challenger Pushes your thinking forward. → If no one’s poking holes in your logic, you’re not growing. 3/ The Connector Builds bridges where you see walls. → Introduces you to people and opportunities you never knew existed. 4/ The Mirror Reflects your blind spots with care. → The one who says, “Here’s what you’re missing—and why it matters.” 5/ The Emerging Peer Grows with you. → You rise together and celebrate each other’s wins out loud. 6/ The Truth Teller Gives feedback you don’t want to hear, but desperately need. → They’ll risk your comfort to protect your growth. 7/ The Legacy Holder Reminds you of your 𝘸𝘩𝘺 when you’re tempted to settle for the 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵. → Keeps your leadership aligned with your purpose. Keeps you anchored in purpose. Your dream role isn’t waiting on a job board. It’s waiting on a conversation. Start here to build your personal board: ✔ Audit your circle → Who challenges you? Who champions you? ✔ Initiate → Reconnect. Reintroduce yourself. ✔ Give first → Share insight. Make intros. Celebrate others. ✔ Show up when it’s not about you → That’s when trust is built. ✔ Repeat weekly  → Consistency is everything. You’re one relationship away from your next level. If your name isn’t being spoken in the rooms that matter, build a board that puts it there. Before burnout. Before breakdown. Before missed opportunity. Social capital isn’t soft. It’s strategy. Which of the 7 roles do you need most right now? And which one are you playing on someone else’s board? ➕ Follow @Loren Rosario-Maldonado, PCC for career growth insights that actually move the needle. 💬 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘉𝘰𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘉𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳™ 𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘥𝘦? DM me “BOARD” and I’ll send it your way.

In my role as Chair of the UITP North America Division, I write monthly newsletters to our members about topics that are close to my heart. Below you'll find my November 2024 In Focus North America Newsletter. If you have some time to give it a read, I'd love to hear from you about if you have a Personal Advisory Board and what advice you might give to others wanting to grow their own. ________________________________________________________________________________ This month, I’d like to pivot from the usual technical and policy content to focus on leadership development. A particular practice that many tout as essential to their career advancement is developing and nurturing your own personal advisory board, or cabinet. A personal advisory board is a limited set of people to whom you turn for career and personal advice. Ideally, your board contains a mix of people who play distinct roles in your professional growth.   The representation on your board should include a wide range of individuals. Having gender, racial, and ethnic diversity in your cabinet increases the potential to avoid blind spots when facing difficult leadership decisions. In addition, peer advisors can be a source of encouragement, inspiration, and collaboration during both good and challenging times.   I also recommend finding a reverse mentor – one, perhaps younger than you, who can help you understand the perspectives of those who are newer to the workforce and might be more apt to confront status quo thinking. Likewise, seeking out a few subject matter experts will educate you in areas of transit where you hope to grow. Lastly, identify people that journalist Elaine Welteroth calls “digital mentors” – people you can follow, study, and be inspired by through their online presence, but may never even meet.   Professional organizations like UITP play a vital role in helping you meet and build relationships with people who could ultimately serve on your personal advisory board. In an era where collaboration and community are more vital than ever, a personal advisory board is a powerful tool for success that can help everyone gain the insights they need to succeed – and stay – in this increasingly challenging industry.