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Where do many businesses start?

Probably with a statement similar to this:

“I don’t like being told what to do, so I’m going to start a business, where I can be my own boss.”

This, essentially, means they value freedom.

And while they may relish not having a “boss,” they will very quickly realize there are always leaders in life.

And there should be.

If you lead a large organization, your leaders will be in the form of board members and the shareholders they represent, who hold you accountable for the success of the business.

If you lead a small business or a solopreneur-type business, you still have leaders. Sometimes, these are vendors who work with you and who excel in an area of your weakness. And your leaders can also be, ironically, those who follow you. These would be your current and potential customers and clients. You follow their lead on what they need, and then you lead the charge on delivering the solution. Your leaders could also be employees with expertise in specific areas.

But here’s the point: Every leader needs a leader. In fact, every leader needs a Leadership Panel.

A leader is a guide, someone who can help you get to the next level and think to higher planes. Even if you own a business or lead one from a top-floor window office, you want to have leaders.

And here’s where the “freedom” factors in. To a large degree, you get to choose your Leadership Panel, your personal and professional advisory board, so to speak.

Here’s how you form your Leadership Panel:

Identify your key areas.

Look at the areas of your life – personal, professional, and home/community. Then break these down into your specific roles. For personal, you may choose health, personal branding, mental health, and hobbies, for example. For professional, this would be your role in your job or business. For home and community, this would include friends, family, and community connections and also the role or roles you play in managing your home.

Identify those who excel in each area.

Think of each role individually and ask yourself these questions for each. Who has strengths you need to borrow? Who is doing what you do, but ahead of you on the path? Who has developed methods to solve the problems you face? Who do you connect with aspirationally? Who has reached a goal you are seeking to achieve? Write them down. These are your leaders in each area. You will review this regularly. As you grow, your list will change. But you will always want to have a Leadership Panel.

Identify avenues to connect with your leaders.

In this day and age, accessibility to a Leadership Panel is easier than ever. Once you have identified your Leadership Panel, you can connect on social media, read their books and articles, listen to their podcasts, join their online community, or engage with them one-on-one to address specific issues. It is also very important that you maintain real-life relationships with some of those on your Leadership Panel. You need to have those you can go to for advice, support, or accountability. The combination of online and offline leadership relationships gives you a broad range of support, sometimes at very high levels, and also an intimate connection with those who know you best and who can provide deep counsel. You need both types of connection. It gives you good perspective.

Think about your Leadership Panel.

Do you have one clearly identified?

Are there areas in your life that need to be supported by someone who can lead you to higher levels?

Do you have someone to call to bounce ideas off the wall or to offer advice or a listening ear?

Do you have someone who will help you stay accountable to your goals?

Once you have your Leadership Panel defined, be sure to set a time to connect with them on a regular basis. This helps keep each area of your life vibrant and healthy, and it creates the life balance you were really seeking when you said, “I want to be my own boss.”

As the CEO of Strength Leader Development, Deb Ingino is a highly sought-after international executive mentor, coach, trainer, and speaker. Deb is well versed in global business operations and helps business leaders and their teams to discover and leverage their strengths, so they can create highly collaborative teams that deliver great results. With a refreshingly direct style, and using the Maxwell Method, Deb helps leaders and teams to deliver profitable results. Connect with Deb to learn more about her mentorship and coaching programs to equip you with advanced strategies to elevate your results