โ๐ฟ๐ง. ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ก๐๐ฎ, ๐๐๐ฃ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐๐ ๐ข๐ฎ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง?โ
โ๐๐๐ง, ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ฉ๐ค ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง ๐ข๐.โ
โ๐ฟ๐ง. ๐ฟ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ค๐ง๐ก๐๐ฎ, ๐ ๐ฌ๐ค๐ช๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐.โ
I get messages like these every day. In my comments, replies, emails, and inboxes. And while I deeply appreciate that many see me as worthy of being a mentor, let me share a hard truth:
๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ชโ๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐ ๐ฅ๐ง๐ค๐๐๐จ๐จ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ก, ๐จ๐ฉ๐ค๐ฅ ๐ง๐๐ก๐ฎ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐ฃ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐ค๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐ฉ๐ค๐ง ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ช๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ง. ๐๐ฉโ๐จ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ช๐๐.
Your career is like running a business. In the beginning, youโre a startup: you’re testing, failing, learning, and improving. And as you grow, the stakes rise: youโre scaling operations, managing people, and making high-impact decisions. The usual advice? Get a mentor. But let’s be honest, mentorship alone has limits.
Challenges will come that one mentor alone canโt solve. One mentor wonโt have all the answers. They may not even be available when you need them most.
What you need is a “personal board of advisors.” Just like companies have boards to guide their biggest moves, your career deserves the same structure.
Build your board with:
– ๐๐๐ค๐ฅ๐ก๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ข ๐๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ๐ง๐๐๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ช๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐๐ค๐ง ๐๐ง๐๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ง๐จ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐จ.
– ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ฃ๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐ค๐ฃโ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ช๐๐๐ง๐๐ค๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ง๐ช๐ฉ๐.
– ๐ฝ๐ก๐ช๐ฃ๐ฉ ๐๐ง๐๐ฉ๐๐๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ค ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช, ๐ฃ๐ค๐ฉ ๐๐ช๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐๐๐๐ง ๐ฎ๐ค๐ช ๐ค๐ฃ.
They donโt need to know theyโre on your board. They donโt need to meet. This is informal, but itโs incredibly effective. And as your career evolves, so should your board. Rotate people in and out depending on where you are and what you need.
This isnโt about waiting for the perfect mentor. Itโs about designing a system of support thatโs dynamic, strategic, and built for growth.
Stop waiting for the perfect mentor. Build your board and run your career like the CEO of your life.
