Advisory Board

by Michelle Read DeGarmo

The time has come for my corporation to have an advisory board, a group of trusted professional peers I can count on to disagree with me without disrespect or hurt feelings. People who can help me maintain our trajectory of doing good things that matter with the ethics and integrity.

I work with a lot of people who thrive in leadership roles. It’s sometimes hard to believe that I might also be a strong leader, an accomplished person. Someone I would have looked up to when I was younger. The fact is that my many of my professional peers are people I sometimes can’t believe choose me as their friend or view me as their equal. It’s difficult to imagine that I am one of them.

We attract what we believe we deserve. I’ve spent too many years believing I deserved to be surrounded by people who don’t respect me or my company. I am done with that now.

I’ve been surrounded by strong women my entire life. I wish I could invite all my aunts and cousins to my board – they are the strong, accomplished, incredible women I hoped I’d grow up to be. Not to exclude men – I am blessed with many wonderful humans in my life and career. However, I am struck by the number of my professional peers who have navigated construction sites and board rooms filled with powerful men from a generation that, by and large, views our gender as a disability.

Male privilege doesn’t always announce itself with a “hey sweetie” and a slap on the ass. Sometimes it’s the perfect gentleman who addresses all his questions to my male assistant, despite my 22 years in environmental compliance and my name on the letterhead. I’ve learned to overlook it as long as the client’s checks don’t bounce, and often bring a male colleague with me for this reason. For now my solution is often to let my bruised ego take a backseat in the interest of signing new clients. Perhaps my board of strong leaders, both male and female, will find a better solution.

I believe it’s an act of incredible courage to let ourselves be vulnerable. Allowing other people to help me make decisions about my company is far outside my comfort zone, yet necessary for healthy growth. It’s time to start believing I deserve to stand beside other strong, accomplished leaders.