According to a McKinsey Report, the most diverse board of directors (top quartile), are 28% more likely to outperform their peers in the companies they serve.
It makes sense, right?
When I was trying to decide which university to attend, not only did I trail a cousin around campus which, of course, wholly and completely impressed me, but I also talked to my friends, parents, and school counselors for guidance. I got into a great school straight out of high school, but after talking with all those folks, with their diverse set of opinions, I had my sights set on one place. And so, I waited it out, went to junior college to get my grades up, and made the absolute best decision for me: UCLA (go Bruins!).
There have been so many inflection moments in my life where I wasn’t sure what to do:
- Take the job in the city that I couldn’t even spell yet with the big-name company, or push hard for something closer to home? (Take the job with IBM, and it's: R*A*L*E*I*G*H)
- Leave that great job 8 years later for an unknown company, but an interesting career jump, or stick it out with Big Blue? (grow your career!)
- Buy a house, sell a house, invest in something, divest from something? (yes, yes, maybe, definitely no)
- When things got tough personally, stay with the person I had committed to, or leap into the unknown? (ditch that dude, girl!)
How did I make these decisions? Same as my alma mater: I consulted the people in my life who are important to me. I call them my personal board of directors.
This personal board may morph given what decision I’m facing, but three things remain constant:
- I know they always have my back
- They do not shy away from giving me direct feedback
- I ensure I am tapping into a diverse group to make the best possible decision.
What does a diverse group look like as it pertains to a personal board of directors?
- People that look like me, and people that don’t
- People in my industry, and out
- People who have deep knowledge about my situation and those who can ask the “dumb” questions because they have no clue what I’m talking about, which in turn, helps me better articulate what is true for me.
While I always listen to their advice, ultimately, I have to go inward to try to see what is true and important for me. Their guidance helps me make better decisions.
This week, Judge Ashleigh Parker, a District Court Judge in North Carolina joins Sherry and me on the podcast. When she took her role, she was the youngest African-American woman to join the bench in NC. Judge Ashleigh joins us to talk about her personal journey, and what she has learned along the way. Her biggest piece of advice: listen to your gut, your god, and your guides.
That very thing has guided my decisions for years. Please check it out here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. https://lnkd.in/gGHUEgbD
