The Boardroom You Didn’t Know You Had

When you’re stuck between two options (or ten…) it’s usually not logic that wins. It’s the voices in the room. Your parents, your partner, your boss from three jobs ago… 

And it’s not always rational. Most of us try to pretend those voices don’t exist—that we’ve evolved beyond them.

But with the clients I work with, those voices are usually still loud. And the only way to move forward isn’t to ignore them, but to recognize them and to listen. So that you can make the decision. Not the voices.

There’s one coaching exercise I come back to a lot. For my clients and for myself. It’s the Inner Boardroom.

I want to share it with you today because a few days ago I added some new people to my personal inner boardroom... even though I thought my table was full.

Here’s how it works:

Start with a moment of stuckness. A decision you need to make. A place where you feel conflicted or unclear.

Set the scene. Imagine a boardroom, a dinner table, a living room—anywhere a group of people might sit and gather.

Describe who’s there. What are the different voices you hear? What parts of you have something to say? If a client is stuck, I’ll often ask, “Whose voices are showing up right now?”

Give them names. Describe what they look like, what they’re wearing, how they hold themselves. Sometimes they’re based on real people. Sometimes they’re inanimate objects or exaggerated characters. Either way—make them vivid enough that you can refer back to them.

Take the CEO seat. You are at the head of the table. Your job isn’t to silence the voices—it’s to listen. To understand where each part is coming from. And then make a decision.

Once you’ve done that, you can…

Let each part speak. One at a time, give them the floor. What does this part want? What is it trying to protect you from?

Listen without judgment. You don’t have to agree or disagree just yet. Just hear what it has to say.

Let them talk to each other. Sometimes two parts are in conflict. Let them have a conversation. See what comes up.

Acknowledge each one. Thank them for showing up. For trying to help. Even the loud or annoying ones are doing their job.

Sometimes I’ll ask clients to imagine each part as the head of a department in their internal business.

That voice pushing you to take on a project you don’t really want—because it pays well? That might be your Head of Finance.

The one urging you to launch something bold and risky? Head of Innovation.

The one fixated on how this will land on LinkedIn? Head of Reputation.

You wouldn’t want any one of them running the show—but you do want to hear them out. They likely have something useful to say, or are trying to protect you from something.

Your Head of Finance might be trying to keep you from running out of money.
Your Head of Innovation might be nudging you toward growth.
Your Head of Reputation might be trying to help you avoid rejection.

That’s where the CEO (you!) comes in. The one who listens, weighs it all, and decides.

And sometimes, clients go even further.

One person I worked with created full portraits of her board members using AI—so she could see the voices in the room.

Some of her board included:

• Blazer Guy – Always polished, always unimpressed. Constantly raising the bar. Thinks everything, all the time, could and should be done better.

• Perfect Parent – The one who shows up to every school function with homemade treats. She’s warm but also judging your work-life balance.

• The Eternal Optimist – Thinks you can do everything—and should. Right now.

• The Visionary – Comes up with ten new business ideas before breakfast.

• The Fixer – Wants to help everyone. Even if it means burning you out.

She developed a clear, visual way to make sense of what was going on inside.

If this is starting to sound like the movie Inside Out, or Internal Family Systems (recently popularized to us millennials by Dr. Becky), that’s because it is. It’s grounded in those approaches. But this isn’t therapy. It’s a coaching tool. That said, unpacking what comes up with a therapist can absolutely be helpful.

So please: Don't quiet the noise.
You’re not there to please the board.
You’re there to lead it.

Try the exercise this week.
Then hit reply and tell me: who’s at your table?