The Importance of Advisors in Personal Growth

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 

Most successful leaders aren't solo architects of their success. They're strategically supported by trusted advisors who help shape their journey. This is a truth I wish I had understood years earlier in my career. If I could go back and give my younger self (and you) one piece of career advice, it would be this: ↳ start building your personal board of advisors now, no matter where you are in your journey I discovered this concept relatively recently, and it’s completely changed how I think about mentorship, leadership, and personal development. While I have always valued mentorship, I now understand the power of building a diverse circle of advisors. Here's what I’ve learned since embracing this approach: Truth #1: Collective wisdom beats solo brilliance every time  Truth #2: The best advisors push and challenge you to grow  Truth #3: Fresh viewpoints come from unexpected places This journey has taught me to focus on: → Seeking voices that challenge my assumptions, not just confirm them → Building relationships proactively, not waiting until I need them → Gaining perspectives from outside my field that spark unexpected insights If you’re considering building your own board of advisors, here’s where to begin: 1. Identify the gaps in your knowledge, experience, and/or network 2. Select 2-3 specific areas where support from advisors would be valuable  3. Reach out thoughtfully to one potential advisor within the next week The strongest advisory relationships aren't about impressive titles. They're about finding people who offer unique perspectives and genuinely want to see you succeed. Your growth potential expands exponentially when you're supported by others who bring different viewpoints and experiences to the table. What advice would you give your younger self about building meaningful professional relationships? Share in the comments. Your learning curve might help another leader strengthen their support system.

The topic of mentorship frequently surfaces in my conversations. I wanted to distill my experiences into some key lessons that have shaped my understanding of what impactful mentorship—or rather, “life advisory”—entails. This reflection was reignited by an article in The Atlantic, which I'll share with you below. 1 - 🏗 Build Your own "Life Advisory Board" No, you don't have to call it that 😉 but I often get the question "How do you find the right mentor." Rather than seeking THE mentor, build a "life advisory board." My mind was first opened to this after reading "The 10 Faces of Innovation" by Tom Kelley & Jonathan Littman (Great recommendation Sharmila Shahani-Mulligan). Here I was introduced to the idea of Reverse Mentoring and Cross-Pollination. It became clear that effective guidance can come from individuals, both younger and older, and from diverse disciplines and walks of life. A life advisory board, comprised of various mentors/advisors, provides a broad spectrum of insights, challenging the conventional approach of finding "THE Mentor." 2 - 🌱 Cultivate Intergenerational Friendships/Relationships The richness of mentorship is magnified when it spans generations. I have a cherished group of friends and mentors who span the generational spectrum. Their collective wisdom, gleaned from varied life experiences, has enriched my perspective in ways I could never have anticipated. This has underscored the fact that the most profound lessons can often come from the most unexpected sources. 3 - 💡 Seek Mentorship for Personal, Not Just Professional, Growth While mentorship can significantly impact our careers, in my experience, its most impactful form transcends the confines of professional spheres and seeps into the very fabric of our personal growth. 4 - 🔄 See it as a Dynamic Exchange Great mentorship involves a reciprocal exchange of knowledge and experiences. In the best mentorship relationships, I’ve found that the role of mentor and mentee often switches depending on the topic, day, and experience. Whether you're the mentor or the mentee in the moment, approaching these relationships with openness and the willingness to learn can lead to unexpected growth and insights. Connecting to Broader Conversations Annie Midori Atherton's article "Your Friends Don’t All Have to Be the Same Age" in The Atlantic beautifully complements these lessons. It illuminates the power of intergenerational connections and encourages us to look beyond societal norms for richer, more diverse mentorship experiences. 🤔 What's your take on mentorship and "Life Advisory"?

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.