I was in a leadership conference listening to a speaker as she shared a concept that I was familiar with, but with a different twist. I talk to people about “the rule of 5” . . . the five people closest to you most impact the person you will become. Not only is this true, but also what we allow in our mind and focus on impacts our results.
I have heard about John Maxwell’s Law of the Inner Circle in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership which states “a leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him”. This speaker took this concept to a more detailed level and called them your “personal board of directors” which I will explain in detail in a moment.
Two days later I was reading a newsletter I receive about the challenges specific people of faith face in other countries. Now I am not trying to force my beliefs on you in any way, but this thought I encountered has relevance for all of us.
I will not go into detail about what led the individual to this thought, but you are welcome to reach out to me and I will gladly share. Here was a thought she had after getting out of a very challenging environment:
“We respond more to the beeps on our phone, I find, than to the Holy Spirit.”
As I reflected on this thought and the speaker’s statements I gathered a few leadership insights from both.
- Slow down to listen and think. I know my phone or drive to have a clean inbox continually pull at me and keep me from being quiet and still enough to hear that quiet voice which guides me to know the next step. You don’t have to be a person of faith to agree there are times you get a “gut feel” on what to do, but if we are constantly busy we struggle to slow down, think, and tune into the “gut feel” or “spirit” or whatever you want to call it.
- Have a counselor. As a leader is there someone in your life that helps you reflect and process the pain points in your life? A true counselor helps you reflect on the past, but a coach helps you think into the future. Both can be helpful, but a coach looks to the future while a counselor will help you dig out of the pain of the past. Whichever you need . . . or both. . . are these people on your personal board of directors as this speaker discussed?
- Have a mentor. I have in my life multiple mentors who help me build my business. I don’t know all the answers and these individuals have been successful and are further down the path. What mentors do you have in your industry to help you grow?
- Have a spiritual director. This speaker is a person of faith and this is important because the reality is we are all spiritual beings. You can define this however you want, but is there someone in your life that helps you when you are out of sync spiritually? Why is this important? We only have a short time on this planet and this person will help make sure you are leading yourself and others in a way that matters for the long haul.
These thoughts prompted me to evaluate the people closest to me and the thoughts I pay attention to. What about you? Maybe this is not the right make-up for your personal “board of directors,” but it resonated with me and I hope this helps you think into how to lead better at home and work. Who would be on your “board of directors,” let them know. Lead well.
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