The Perils of Flying Solo
I used to think that 'successful' people were ‘smart enough’ to figure things out for themselves. So I spent years doing hard things mostly on my own, like:
Negotiating a promotion.
Navigating a career change.
Deciding to end a relationship.
Maybe I’d ask a friend or peer for their opinion along the way, but for the most part, I was single-handedly forging my path through life.
The thing is, when you try and do everything yourself you're limited to your skills, your frame of reference, and the patterns of thinking your brain is used to.
This only gets you so far.
And if you’re trying to shake things up and make big changes, you’re going to have to do things differently.
That’s why the most successful people in life are the ones that ask for help, cultivate mentors, and assemble a team of experts around them.
No one gets there alone.
At work you would never be expected to single-handedly launch a product.
Treat you career and life with the same level of respect you would give an important project you’re running at work.
Assemble a team.
I like to refer to them as your own personal Board of Directors.
What are the challenges you're currently facing? Ask yourself, who can help you strategize, innovate, and execute? Who can lighten the load, bring in expertise and/or different points of view?
Then formerly ask them or hire them to help you.
This is not indulgent.
This doesn't demonstrate naiveté.
Rather, it shows that you're treating important decisions in your life with the intention and care they deserve. It shows that you value expertise and diversity of thought and experience.
Ultimately, you will go further and faster and to more interesting places if you have a diverse support team to guide you.
Who’s on your Board?
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If you want to talk about how to go about building your own personal Board of Directors, schedule a free Strategy Session.
