Your Virtual Board of Directors

This article comes from Zoe Routh's fabulous Magnetic Leader ezine, which you can sign up for at http://www.innercompass.com.au

So the poop has hit the twirly thing and you're feeling kind of narked about life and all.

Who do you turn to for advice? Better question, who is worth turning to for advice?

If you've got a sage and sober wizened old soul in to ring up, then kudos to you. Maybe you've got a wise old dad who spouts variable gems, or an old boss that can guide you when you veer off track, or a spouse that knows just what to say before you think it. Or maybe you very smartly invest in a coach to stick it to you when you don't want to hear it. Or maybe you've conned someone to be your mentor by buying them the occasional lunch. Good-o. You're doing fine.

But you could be doing better.

What if you had the most kick-ass, smart, enlightened Board of Directors on your side giving you the best personal and business advice? I'm talking top notch. I'm talking top of the top. I'm talking priceless advice. How much would you pay for that kind of help?

Yeah, I know, you can't afford it. Apart from that being a lame excuse, the truth is much better. You can have the best line-up of help, at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere. And I'm going to show you how to get it. So buckle up, cow-kids, here we go! 

If you get stuck in a pickle, all you need to do is dial in to the Board of Directors Hotline.

'And what is the number?' I hear you asking. Patience, my young friend. All is now revealed.

Before you get the number, you need to pick your Directors. Who would you like advice from? Donald Trump? Tony Robbins? Mother Theresa? Moses? Pick your top 5 ultimate Board of Directors.

Incidentally, here are mine: Dalai Lama, Kiran Bedi, Oprah, Richard Branson, and imaginary hot fit chick I call Dana (for fitness inspiration).

Now when you're stuck, you convene a meeting of your Board of Directors (BoD) and ask them one by one what their response would be to your dilemma.How do you convene? What is the number? Simple, go somewhere quiet without distractions and close your eyes. Imagine your BoD team sitting around a gorgeous round table. See them smiling, eagerly waiting for your questions, ready to help.

I did this recently when I was finding it difficult to drop some severe awkward judgement about a colleague who was underperforming. I knew the judgement was not worthy of my Higher Self and I felt terrible about it. I called in the BoD and this is what I 'heard' them say: "Lead with love," said the Dalai Lama. Branson said, "Sack him and get someone better on the team."

With this advice I let go of the judgment,  started to respect the individual as a human being (that's the leading with love bit), show some compassion, separate the work output from the person, and move on with what was best for the project (a la Branson). Thank you BoD. Without them I was stuck in my own guilty whingeing and complaining.

One teeny tip that is really important: Don't overwhelm yourself by thinking you need to feel/think/act like your BoD members - instead you can imagine them having the same challenges as you and then imagining how they might respond. I loved imagining the Dalai Lama feeling judgmental and what he would do in response...I thought he might have a cup of green tea, a good chuckle about his human foibles then go out in to the garden and watch the birds.

Coach's Challenge:

What is the biggest challenge/opportunity you want help on?Who can you set up as your BoD? Now go to them and ask them for input. Have fun!