Build an Irrational Board of Directors

When I was leading T3, one of the smartest things I did was surround myself with people who thought most of my ideas were wrong.

When we wrote Embracing Irrationality, we saw a pattern: the most innovative leaders deliberately build this kind of tension around them.

Here’s how to create your own Irrational Board of Directors....and why you should.

Most leaders surround themselves with people who agree with them.

Not because they want to.

But because it happens quietly. Almost automatically.

We trust people who think like us.

We promote people who reinforce our worldview.

We seek advice from those who’ve walked the same path.

It feels smart. Safe. Efficient.

But it creates a subtle, dangerous outcome: an echo chamber.

You don’t just need people who sharpen your thinking.

You need people who disrupt it.

A traditional board is like a mirror.

It reflects your worldview back at you.

An irrational board is like a prism.

It bends your thinking. It refracts your assumptions.

It shows you what you can’t see on your own.

So how do you build an irrational board?

You don’t need a committee or a consulting firm.

You need three voices in your life:

  1. The Contrarian – Challenges your assumptions. Especially the ones you think are untouchable.

  2. The Outsider – Comes from a completely different world. They don’t care how your industry works.

  3. The Wild Card – Makes decisions in ways you don’t fully understand. That’s the point.

They don’t have to be formal. They don’t even have to know each other.

They just need to help you think in ways you wouldn’t on your own.

Who’s on your irrational board?

And if the answer is no one, how long can you afford to keep thinking the same way?

When To Apply AI

0