Building a Personal Board of Directors to Accelerate Your Career

As nonprofit leaders, we focus so much on developing others that we often forget about our own growth and support systems. But what if you had a trusted group of advisors to guide you, challenge you, and help you make better career decisions?

My guest contributor this week, Jarrett Ransom, shares why every professional—especially in the nonprofit space—should have a Personal Board of Directors and how to build one that accelerates your career.

Jarrett established her consulting firm in 2009, specializing in nonprofit organizations across the country. Under her guidance, teams nationwide consistently raise millions of dollars annually to advance their missions. Jarrett spearheads transformative consulting initiatives, empowering nonprofits to envision and realize their long term goals.

Key Points:

00:58 The value of an outside perspective

04:23 Jarrett’s career journey and the people who have supported her

10:22 The benefits of having a personal board of directors

12:43 The types of people to include on your board

15:47 How to invite someone onto your personal board of directors

21:17 Identifying the people in your life to include on your personal board of directors

What Is a Personal Board of Directors?

A Personal Board of Directors is a diverse group of trusted advisors who provide guidance, honest feedback, and strategic insight throughout your career.

This might include friends, family members, colleagues, former supervisors, sponsors, or mentors.

Jarrett recommends envisioning a table with six empty chairs. Who would you invite to fill those seats?

How a Personal Board of Directors Supports Your Career Development

This small group of trusted advisors can lead to improved:

Decision-Making – Trusted advisors help you see blind spots and navigate tough choices.
Career Acceleration – The right people challenge and push you toward growth.
Confidence – When you have a go-to team for support, you don’t have to figure everything out alone.

How to Build Your Personal Board of Directors

As you envision those 6 empty seats, you want to make sure you fill them with the right people. Jarrett shares four tips for building your personal board of directors.

Identify Your Gaps – What areas of leadership, skills, or mindset do you need guidance on? Look for mentors who can fill those gaps.
Diversify Your Board – Your board should include people from different backgrounds and industries, not just those in your immediate circle.
Make It Intentional – Let your board members know why you value their input and be clear about how you’d like to engage with them.
Keep It Dynamic – Your career evolves, and so should your board. It’s okay to add or rotate members as your needs change.

For more tips, tune into episode 122 of the Learning for Good podcast.

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