Probably one of the most influential factors in building a winning environment is surrounding yourself with GREAT people. I’ve covered who you don’t need in your life in a previous post, so now let’s talk about the levels of relationships that will best serve you.
FAMILY
In my heart of hearts I believe these are the most important relationships in the universe! Your family should be in your corner and ready to pick you up when you fall. They get to see you with no makeup, in your PJs and as the completely raw you. These people also help keep you in check. They get to call you out when you need to be reigned in and hold you accountable to your values. In the same, they should be the ones who tell you that you can change the world and enthusiastically applaud you as you do!
INNER CIRCLE
Your inner circle should be small and tight. These friends are as close to family as friends can get. They are people you can be open with, discussing your dreams and fears, and who will motivate you to grow as a person.
Your inner circle should challenge you to live up to their level of awesome in their areas of strength, rather than constantly looking to you to always be the predominant leader in all things. They should also respect your own area of expertise and allow you the opportunity to grow as a teacher and leader.
If you are at the top of your class in your closest relationships, I’m not saying ditch your friends. I am saying, however, that it’s time to graduate to a new class and add some people in the mix that will refine and inspire you. Seek out close relationships with those who will encourage you through their influence, their example and through their words. Individuals who will stick their neck out for you to help you accomplish your goals.
You inner circle can include close friends, extended family, fellow mastermind members, mentors and career sponsors, and the like. Their faith in you should be equal to your trust in them.
BROADER NETWORK
Your network should be bursting full of people who are givers, connectors and gracious recipients. You should seek people who are like-minded in creating, cultivating and sustaining mutually beneficial relationships. They should be the type of person who always has another connection in their network come to mind when they a meet a new person.
They should be able to humbly accept your help and not feel as if they owe you – nor apologize for asking for your help. They should merely understand that it all comes out in the wash and they will have the right opportunity at the right time to bless you in return.
Your network should feature positive can-do attitudes. The dreamers and the doers and the people who see your value and how much awesome you put into the world, even if you don’t.
The more you crowd your network space with the high-achieving, go-getters who can find the good in even the difficult seasons, the less room you will have to tolerate Negative Nancy & Melancholic Marvin, Larry the Leach and Time Sucker Tina.
Now where do you find these super star connections? Well, lucky you, I wrote an entire blog post on it HERE that will give you five tips for finding great people for your network!
So tell me, what have you learned along your own journey about whom you invite into your environment? What are your wins? What did you have to learn the hard way? I look forward to your responses!