When faced with a challenge you need help to resolve, consult your board of directors. No, not your corporate governance… your Imaginary Board of Directors – your iBoard of Directors.
Your iBoard is your collection of business leaders, role models, and personal heroes who inspire and challenge your thinking. The iBoard helps you discover solutions you may not find on your own.
Building & Accessing Your Imaginary Board
In his book, Thinkertoys: A Handbook of Creative-Thinking Techniques, Michael Michalko provides a few suggestions for this technique…
- Select three to five business movers and shakers, living or dead, whom you admire most.
I suggest expanding your list to include any person or character, real or fictional, living or dead. Who knows, you may find a great resource asking what would Captain Picard (Star Trek) or President Bartlet (West Wing) do? - Get photographs of your Board and pin them up to constantly remind you of the talent at your disposal.
- Research your heroes. Read everything about your heroes that you can get your hands on.
- Take notes on your favorite passages. Pay particular attention to the creative techniques they employed to solve problems.
- When you have a challenge, consult the members of your board and imagine how they would solve it.
The founding member of my iBoard was Walt Disney. I regularly challenge myself by asking “How would Walt do this?”
My other board members include…
Ben Franklin, Mark Twain, Tom Jefferson, Leo da Vinci, Steve Martin, and I’ve recently added Tina Fey.
Recruitment Tools
Need to find or learn more about people you admire? Here are a few resources to explore:
Websites
- “The Time 100: 2007” – Time Magazine has a list of “the 100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world.” They include five categories: artists and entertainers, scientists and thinkers, leaders and revolutionaries, builders and titans, and heroes and pioneers.
- “Business 2.0: The 50 Who Matter Now” – an unabashedly subjective list of people, products, trends, and ideas that are transforming the world of business.
Books
- “Radicals & Visionaries: Entrepreneurs Who Revolutionized the 20th Century” by Thaddeus Wawro. This book features short biographies about 90 men and women who have shaped the past 100 years.
- “Discover Your Genius: How to Think Like History’s Ten Most Revolutionary Minds” book by Michael J. Gelb …. he features… Plato, Brunelleschi, Columbus, Copernicus, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, Jefferson, Darwin, Gandhi and Einstein.
When trying to solve a business or marketing problem… I’ll ask myself… What would Mark say? What would Leo do? How would Steve handle this situation?
Who would you put on your board?
My iBoard of Directors FY 2007
Tags: Ben_Franklin, business, iBoard, Imaginary_Board_of_Directors, Innovation, inspiration, Leonardo_da_Vinci, Mark_Twain, Paul_Williams, Steve_Martin, Thomas_Jefferson, Tina_Fey, visionaries, Walt_Disney
I love this idea – it was also suggested to me by my business coach. But, my challenge is that all of my iBoard members are rich and famous – they can do and make anything they want, whenever they want.
So, my question is…how do you do things like Martha Stewart when you’ve got an MC Hammer budget?
I developed my iBoard in 1998. It’s first Chairman was Starbucks Howard Schultz and it vice-Chairman was Starbucks Howard Behar. Everyday they remind me that values are more important than profits.
This is a great idea, Paul. It strikes me that the “i” in iBoard could stand for inspiration as well as imaginary. Love it!
I have to think on who my board would include…
Re: Anna Bellas question 070607. Do things on a smaller scale but by the same principles. A small condo can be built with the same quality as a mansion. What I read from Paul Williams is to focus on the character, qualities and values that the Iboard members use in making decisions and taking action. If we have all the money we need, it still requires wise use of this money to have it increase. What does Martha Stewart have/use/do that you could duplicate or emulate?
My i-board would include someone who knows how to work with others collaboratively yet be good at improvising. A jazz musician like Dr. Billy Taylor would be perfect.
Definitely NOT on my i-board would be a grandstanding blowhard like Donald Trump.
Hi Paul:
The first time I heard this concept verbalized was at Fast Company Real Time in Phoenix where Jim Colling presented the concept for his new book: Good to Great.
Jim Talked about a Personal Board of Directors, which I already had, although I did not call it that way.
The imaginary part is an interesting concept. Many of us are inspired by others. I think also the idea is that if they made it, we can also make it. Many famous people started with really little, if you think about it.
Great feedback… Thanks, and keep it coming!
Having a board comprised of real, living business people… it will help you.
But if you want to do something remarkable you need to call on remarkable personalities…
Anna… Rene has got it right… and I know what you mean…
The question to ask is… “What would Martha do with this limited budget?”
Paul – I love the idea of imaginery and/or personal boards of directors. (Now I have to go off and figure out who’d be on mine.)
But it is also most helpful, especially for small, fledgling businesses, to have real, accessible, experienced business people who can help them thrive. Unfortunately,there are many who don’t take advantage of their “in the flesh” boards. They’re afraid that asking for help will demonstrate some weakness on their part.
Awesome way to use Role Models. I help lawyers, accountants, financial planners, real estate and health experts develop their personal brand — who they want to see in the mirror — through their own Role Model Collage.
You can hear step-by-step instructions on ViksMarketingBlog.com.
Great ideas with the iBoard!
I guess, in some ways, everone has an iboard. I had never thought of it in this manner though. Thanks for bringing that to me. To me it is called values.
The trick is to have an iboard of directors who are positive if you want positive results.
I have wished sometimes my iboard included Tony Soprano and his crew, but I guess my values out weigh my wishes. (:-)
Harry…
Fugetaboutit.
Harry … try adding Dr. Melfi to your iBoard. You could always count on her to ask probing questions just like she asked Tony.
John Moore
I need a Dr. Melfi after dealing with my board of directors. Oh wait I am the board of directors.
Paul Williams
Col tempo la foglia di gelso diventa seta.
So I will take your excellent advice.
We often read and learn about people, and over time we gravitate to the same ones, but this idea pulls these influences together and empowers them to affect our lives directly. The focused energy is key. Thanks for sharing Paul.
Well put, Steve!
What I love about this technique is the flexibility. If you want/need to think in a particular fashion – include someone/something with those qualities…
Thanks for your comments.
Hi Guys
This tool is briliant, just contemplating on it now just blows me away!
thanks!