How to Build a Personal Board of Advisors
We’ve all heard the saying, “It takes a village.” In your career, that village isn’t just about friendships or casual networking. It’s about surrounding yourself with people who challenge you, inspire you, and open doors you didn’t even know existed. That’s the idea behind a Personal Board of Advisors: a curated group of trusted voices who help you make smarter decisions, navigate uncertainty, and accelerate your growth.
Think about it. Companies have boards because leaders know they can’t do it all alone. They need experts to provide perspective, hold them accountable, and push their vision forward. Why wouldn’t the same apply to your own career? Yet most professionals never intentionally build this kind of support system. They rely on one mentor, one manager, or one friend to provide everything. And when that doesn’t work, they end up frustrated and stuck.
A strong personal board isn’t one-size-fits-all. The right mix depends on your goals and challenges, but there are a few roles worth considering:
The Visionary: Someone who pushes you to think bigger than you thought possible.
The Challenger: The person who calls you out when you play it safe and forces you to question assumptions.
The Connector: Someone deeply networked who introduces you to opportunities you wouldn’t find on your own.
The Mentor: A seasoned leader who’s walked the path ahead of you and can share both perspective and strategy.
The Peer: Someone at a similar stage who shares your ambition and energy. They keep you grounded and remind you you’re not in it alone.
Here’s the key: your board doesn’t have to be formal. You don’t need to ask anyone to “be on your board.” This isn’t about scheduling quarterly meetings with agendas and PowerPoints. It’s about being intentional with your relationships. Seek out people whose strengths complement yours, whose honesty you trust, and whose experience fills in the gaps you haven’t yet covered.
Building this board takes courage, because it means reaching out—sometimes to people who intimidate you. But here’s the truth: when you approach people authentically, with curiosity and respect, they’re often more willing to help than you realize. Send the email. Schedule the coffee chat. Show up prepared with thoughtful questions. The worst-case scenario is someone says no. The best-case scenario is you unlock a new path you didn’t even know existed.
And once you’ve built your board, the real work begins: nurturing those relationships. This isn’t about using people only when you need something. It’s about creating a genuine exchange of value. Share updates, express gratitude, celebrate their wins, and most importantly, put their advice into action. A board only works if there’s mutual trust and accountability.
The data reinforces this. A recent LinkedIn study found that 80 percent of professionals believe networking is important to career success, and nearly 70 percent of professionals landed a job at a company where they already had a connection. More recent surveys confirm the same trend: 79 percent of professionals say networking is essential to career growth. The people who thrive in their careers aren’t always the most talented. They’re the most connected.
You can see this formula at work in organizations like The WIT Network. Their leadership team didn’t just evolve by chance. Each advisor was intentionally hand-picked to advance the mission of creating equity for women in technology. As a Strategic Advisor myself, I’ve seen how deliberate selection matters. WIT looked at its mission, identified the expertise and perspectives it needed, and chose advisors who could fill those exact gaps. That intentional approach is the same mindset you need to apply when building your personal board. Don’t just surround yourself with people you know. Surround yourself with people who push you forward, challenge your assumptions, and open doors that align with your vision.
At Coachcella, we see it all the time. The leaders who go further, faster, are the ones who are intentional about surrounding themselves with mentors, peers, and advocates who elevate their thinking and expand their opportunities. If you want to go fast, you can go alone. But if you want to go far, you need a board.
Because no matter how high you climb, leadership is never a solo journey. Your success will always be shaped by the people you bring along and the ones who help you get there.
Need help defining your own advisory board or network? Contact us today and see how we can help.
