The rule of 5. The Law of the Inner Circle as leadership expert John Maxwell calls it in his book The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Your personal executive team. You can call it many different things, but this group of people will either help or hinder your personal and professional momentum.
The rule of 5. I have heard it said that the five people closest to us most impact the person we become. I have often interacted with youth who have recently made a poor decision that landed them in trouble. In some situations I have known the people they are friends with. I share with them this principle. If they are surrounding themselves with people who are a negative influence and encourage poor choices, then they need to change who those five closest people are.
The Law of the Inner Circle. Who do you let closest to you? Are they people who encourage you toward your dream? Are they positive and encouraging or do they either actively or passively discourage you in your pursuit of great goals? Maybe they are simply apathetic and neither encourage nor discourage you. We live in a discouraging world often times already so we must surround ourselves with people who encourage and empower us toward our goals.
Your personal executive team. Are there people in your life who will speak the truth when you need to hear it in a loving manner? One of the critical mistakes we make as people is not listening to what we don’t want to hear. I am fortunate to be married to a wonderful wife who is very different from me. Now understand I do not initially take criticism or the truth well. I get a bit defensive and need time to process and evaluate what someone has told me. When I mess up I often know it, but need to reflect and learn from the mistake before I talk about it more. I must have not only my wife, but other people in my life to hold me accountable, help me see life from a different perspective and bounce ideas off of.
Organically I create this through who I seek out for advice. Do I seek out people who only tell me what I want to hear or who are at the same stage of life as me? I try and seek out individuals further along in the journey and can speak truth whether I want to hear it or not. Another way we can develop a strong inner circle are through intentional groups or individual relationships. Groups such as masterminds where people come together to interact over similar material and learn both from the material and one another or hiring a coach to help you think into your life and leadership.
So where are you at? Do the people in your life want to grow and reach their full potential or stay safe and comfortable? The type of people we allow closest to us will most impact the person we become so who do you want near you? Think of who you need to add and who you may need to limit in your life and make the necessary adjustments so you can grow your influence as a leader.
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