How to Build a Personal Board of Directors

Surround yourself with the right people to level up.

If you’re serious about becoming remarkable, you need a personal board of directors.

Conceptualize Your Dream Team

Building a personal board of directors isn’t just for CEOs—it’s for anyone who wants to grow, learn, and make better decisions. Your board should include mentors, advisors, and peers who challenge your thinking, inspire your actions, and hold you accountable.

Take Jonathan Conyers, for example. He credits his success to a diverse “village” of mentors, including a college counselor who taught him resilience and a trans friend who expanded his perspective on inclusion. Without them, he wouldn’t have co-founded the Brooklyn Debate League or saved his mother’s life as a respiratory therapist

Choose People Who Challenge You

Your board shouldn’t just agree with you—they should push you to see your blind spots. Meredith Whittaker, a tech leader revolutionizing privacy, emphasizes the importance of finding mentors who challenge systems and ideas, not just people. She credits her success to mentors who helped her think critically and lead boldly.

Look for people who’ve overcome adversity, pivoted careers, or built something remarkable. Chip Wilson, the founder of Lululemon, learned the hard way that surrounding yourself with the wrong people—like a misaligned board—can derail your vision. He now stresses the importance of aligning values and culture when choosing advisors.

Diversify the Composition

Your personal board should reflect the diversity of the world you want to impact. Think about Deepa Purushothaman, a trailblazer who’s spent her career advocating for inclusion and equity. As a founding board member of Avasara, India’s first leadership academy for young women, she’s surrounded herself with people who bring unique perspectives and challenge the status quo. Deepa’s ability to build a network of diverse thinkers has been key to her success in driving meaningful change.

By including people with different life experiences, industries, and viewpoints, you’ll gain insights you’d never uncover on your own. Diversity isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a superpower for making better decisions and seeing opportunities others miss. Surround yourself with people who think differently, and you’ll be amazed at how much further you can go.

Pitch the Opportunity

Recruiting board members is not like pitching investors because it’s not the “law of big numbers” where you are spraying and praying. Rather, this is a targeted, specific rifle-shot approach.

The salient question is, “What handful of people have the domain or process expertise that you need?”

Then it’s a matter of pounding the pavement. Cold-call emails are more effective with advisors than investors, but an introduction from a successful entrepreneur, corporate finance attorney, or professor won’t hurt.

Highlight the impact they can have, the value of being part of your journey, and how their expertise aligns with your mission. People want to contribute to something meaningful, so make your vision compelling.

Skip the Window Dressing

I’m sure you’d love to have a few tech titans on your board so that you drop a few names and feel like a “baller.” Hold yourself back for these reasons: 1) You probably won’t get them, so you’ll waste a lot of time. 2) If they are not truly relevant to your needs because of their expertise, you’ll be wasting their time and yours. 3) You will be shocked and depressed at how little they actually know that’s useful to you.

Keep It Dynamic

Your board should evolve as you do. Don’t be afraid to rotate members in and out based on your current goals and challenges.

Think of it like Robert Rosenberg, the former CEO of Dunkin’ Donuts, who adjusted his board when the company expanded internationally. He brought in experts with global market experience to guide the transition, ensuring the board’s expertise aligned with the company’s needs. The same principle applies to your personal board—keep it relevant, adaptable, and focused on your growth.

And remember, this isn’t a one-way street. Be a valuable connection for your board members, too. Relationships thrive when there’s mutual respect and benefit.

Take Action Today

Once you’ve assembled your board, invest in a thorough onboarding process. Provide context about your organization’s history, culture, and goals to ensure new members hit the ground running. A well-prepared board is a powerful asset.

Start by identifying 3-5 people who inspire you. Reach out, build relationships, and ask for their guidance. Remember, your board isn’t just about career success—it’s about becoming the best version of yourself.

So, who’s on your board?

Mahalo!

Guy