Any successful leader can often attribute a significant portion of the success to wise counsel. A large part of elevating a professional career is the relationships and networks established. If you are lucky, you will start your career with a mentor and maybe a sponsor to provide advice and advocacy. But what is often the unspoken rule is that successful leaders don't just have a mentor or a sponsor; they have several people helping them navigate their careers to success. Consider corporations; they often have a board of directors to ensure the company's success. That board consists of different people with different backgrounds and expertise who can advise the corporation and ensure it stays profitable and compliant. So what if you see yourself as a corporation? If you were a corporation, wouldn't you have a board of directors? People with different perspectives who can provide advice that keeps your career successful and help navigate the unspoken rules of your industry. Every future leader should build a board of directors or what I call a professional advisory board.
A professional advisory board is a group of individuals with unique strengths and experiences that help with career navigation. Unlike when you have a mentor or friend, an advisory board can provide varying perspectives. These individuals are from different backgrounds, career levels, fields, and industries.
Creating an advisory board should include people with different qualities who can help you look at career opportunities and challenges from a unique perspective.
Here are five qualities that are a must for a professional advisory board member.
The first quality is an effective listener. An effective listener listens with what the International Coaching Federation would call Level 2 listening. A person who listens pass the words you convey; they become aware of the emotional aspects of the situation and observe nonverbal communication. A professional coach often does this well because of their training on three listening levels. This advisory person can help you figure out a decision past your words.
The second quality is a sanguine personality. A person with a sanguine personality often sees the glass half full and not half empty. They are actively looking for the positive aspects of the situation. When facing a challenging problem, having an advisory board with a sanguine member will help you to remain optimistic and figure out positive ways to move forward.
The third quality is a candid or frank personality. When you achieve certain levels of leadership it is often hard to get genuine feedback. Leaders are often treated like they are beyond reproach; However not getting candid feedback could be detrimental to a leader's development. So a leader must have at least one person who is honest and willing to give frank feedback that may not be popular but is required for growth and development.
The fourth quality is a corporate or industry “landscaper.” A corporate landscape is the organization's norms, ethos, and unwritten rules. As you transition to new roles, unspoken and spoken rules need to be made apparent. A landscaper will help you to navigate those environments and understand the norms and unwritten rules. The landscaper typically has been with the company or organization for some time and is well-connected.
The fifth quality is a strategic connector. A strategic connector is someone who helps to propel others' careers forward through the use of their network. The strategic connector can help to advocate for you or introduce you to groups and connections that you otherwise would not be able to access.
These five qualities have a place on your professional advisory board and ensure the best chance at success.
