When was the last time you created something for its own sake? Not because your job required it or because a client paid you. When did you conceive and initiate an idea that wouldn’t exist without you? When did you last fall in love with a different version of the future?
I recently helped a client prepare for a board interview. He answered mock interview questions thoughtfully and revealed the kind of personality that anyone would enjoy in a boardroom. Unfortunately, I felt a niggling doubt about his prospects. Every interview response related to his day job, as if he never did anything of relevance outside his paid work life. He lacked a spark, a sense of purpose that made me want to learn more with and from him.
Few of us will achieve widespread fame, but that doesn’t keep us from making our mark. And as much as I emphasize the value of gaining operating experience, new skills, and a strong network, they are not enough. We build our legacy by expressing and acting on our passions, typically outside of our job description.
You might say that you live a quiet life after work. You spend time with family, relax at the piano, or train for marathons. These are all noble pastimes to be sure. No one will criticize these priorities, but only a handful of people will remember you for them.
Alongside these pursuits, we have the opportunity to share a piece of ourselves by creating something tangible. Those around me who lead the richest lives are coordinating their neighbours to welcome and support Syrian refugees. They are quietly, yet diligently, writing books. They are founding non-profits or staging new fundraising events.
I’m sure you have your own project in you. What question have you always wanted to see answered? What new service should exist? What community could you bring together around an opportunity or idea? The first step could be as simple as launching a blog in your field, creating a monthly meet-up, or writing a regular column in your local newspaper.
Whatever initiative you imagine, it will enrich your life, in general, and board career, in particular. Consider three ways that the right project could spark and sustain momentum in your personal and broader professional life.
The act of creating tests your fear
Every time you raise your hand, launch a product, or publish an article, you are vulnerable. Human nature prefers the comfort of playing it safe. Fortunately, practice can teach us how to handle the internal resistance. Author Seth Godin encourages us to manage that fear so it doesn’t hold us back from sharing an idea with the world.
“In a long distance race, everyone gets tired. The winner is the runner who figures out where to put the tired, figures out how to store it away until after the race is over. Sure, he’s tired. Everyone is. That’s not the point. The point is to run.
Same thing is true for shipping [your idea], I think. Everyone is afraid. Where do you put the fear?”
Just as putting your vision on the line takes fortitude, so too does board work. Asking management tough questions can feel uncomfortable. Standing apart from one’s colleagues on a critical decision is never easy. And navigating ethical issues, particularly those that reveal misalignment among directors, requires courage that may not be easily summoned without practice.
The act of creating crafts a story to tell
Admittedly, I spend more time than most thinking about winning interview responses. Some people pursue activities for the sake of looking fabulous on Instagram. I, on the other hand, feel surrounded by opportunities that will replay well in a front of a board nominations committee.
Although interviewing is a skill we can all develop, it depends on having a foundation of engaging and relevant stories to tell. Speaking only of situations and accomplishments in your day job, you can come across as rather dull. Instead, I would rather see candidates reflect on the public speakers series they founded or the lessons learned in the mentoring program they founded for young entrepreneurs. Coming across as an enthusiastic, three-dimensional person is critically important.
The act of creating draws new people into your network
As you might expect, new ventures introduce new people. As I’ve built the Boardroom Blueprint, I’ve collaborated with marketing experts, professors, authors, and governance thought leaders. My blog posts have reconnected me with former colleagues and introduced me to talented, motivated leaders in a variety of fields. And I meet new leaders in all sorts of ways: through generous introductions, social media activity, and conference presentations. I even met a potential client at the hair salon last week, proof that opportunity is everywhere!
None of these people would be in my life had I not started writing, undeterred by the real possibility that no one outside my family would read the words. Being acknowledged or appreciated never mattered. I simply felt compelled to research, develop, and express the answers that I sought in my own life and work.
Regardless of your passion, I hope you take action on it. Flex your creative muscles and build something that could become part of your legacy. You’ll undoubtedly learn something along the way and others will benefit immeasurably. And you just might thank me during your next board interview.
Question: What project do you feel drawn to launch? What do you plan to create in 2016?
Please share your response via Twitter, LinkedIn or e-mail.
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