Building Your Board of Advisors: A Mid-Career Reflection
At some point in mid-career—after the tenure letter is framed, the administrative titles start appearing, or the grant dollars begin to add up—you realize that the path forward in academia is no longer just about expertise or hard work. It's about navigating complexity: balancing teaching, research, leadership responsibilities, and a rapidly changing political and societal climate.
You also realize something else: you cannot—and should not—do it alone.
I learned this lesson a few years ago when I found myself at a crossroads. I had achieved the goals I once dreamed of: a tenured faculty position, full professorship, a national reputation in faculty and leadership development, and invitations to serve on prestigious editorial boards and to support career advancement across the academy. Yet I also felt increasingly adrift. New opportunities—department chair, associate dean, leadership fellowships—beckoned, but I wasn’t sure how to make smart choices, or even which ones would help me grow in the ways I wanted.
It became clear: I needed a board of advisors.
Not just a mentor, but a board—a group of trusted individuals with diverse perspectives who could help guide me personally and professionally through the complex terrain ahead.
The first step was grounding myself in clarity. I spent time naming my growth areas—really naming them, without judgment. I wanted to develop greater strategic leadership skills, deepen my financial and budgetary acumen, and learn how to advocate effectively within and beyond my institution. Personally, I also needed to work on boundary-setting and sustaining a life outside of my work as a mother and wife.
Once I knew the skills and experiences I needed to cultivate, I asked the hard questions:
- Who, among my current mentors and colleagues, could truly help me grow in these areas?
- Where were the gaps?
- Who else should I be learning from?
As it turned out, my existing “board” wasn’t enough. The senior scholar who once guided my research trajectory didn’t have the administrative leadership experience I now needed. The department chair who once advocated for me wasn’t someone I could turn to for work-life integration advice.
So, I expanded my circle intentionally.
I reached out to a former dean known for being budget savvy and asked if she would meet for coffee occasionally. I connected with a faculty member-turned-vice-president who had gracefully navigated the transition to senior leadership in a politically charged environment. I even added a non-academic advisor: a leadership coach who helped me focus on personal sustainability and values-based decision-making.
Each new advisor was selected thoughtfully, based on a clear understanding of where I was and where I wanted to go.
In academia, especially at mid-career, we often imagine that mentoring ends after the early stages. In truth, mid-career is when intentional mentorship and advisory relationships become even more crucial. The academy’s expectations are shifting. Institutions are grappling with political pressures, societal demands, demographic changes, and technological disruptions. At mid-career, you are no longer just advancing yourself—you are shaping the institution itself. You need advisors who can help you think at that scale.
And you need different advisors for different challenges: someone to strategize career moves, someone to coach you through conflict management, someone to remind you of who you are beyond your CV.
In Conclusion
Building your board of advisors isn’t a one-time act; it’s a dynamic process that mirrors your own evolution. At mid-career, when the stakes are higher and the path less clear, being intentional about who you seek out, how you engage them, and what growth areas you focus on is essential.
The right board won’t just help you succeed—it’ll help you grow into the leader, scholar, and person you aspire to become.
3 Steps to Building Your Mid-Career Board of Advisors
- Get Clear on Growth.
Name the skills, experiences, and personal goals you need to develop next. - Audit Your Current Advisors.
Who’s helping you move forward—and where are the gaps? - Build with Intention.
Find the right people for the right roles, and evolve your board as you evolve.
Author: Vicki Baker
