Yesterday, I focused on people you should run from. Today I want to focus on the people that you should surround yourself with!
In the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell has a law,The law of the Inner Circle, that states, “Those closest to you will determine the level of your success!
The older I get, the more I recognize how profound that is.
If you meet anyone that is successful, I guarantee you that they have surrounded themselves with great people. Few people are successful unless a lot of other people want them to be. It’s critical to know who to surround ourselves with in life. I thought I’d share some people I believe you need to surround yourself with:
Adders – Adders are people who you enjoy spending time with because they make you feel great. You don’t feel drained or upset after being with them. You don’t dread having to spend time with them, in fact you’re happy you get to spend time with them! Examples:
- Encouragers – Everyone needs encouragement. You want people in your inner circle that you know you can go to and come away encouraged.
- People that Can Pick Up where They Left Off With You – Some of the most refreshing people in life are those you can go years without seeing and yet, when you see them again, it’s like no time passed at all.
- People You can Be You With – Don’t you love people you can be with and just be yourself and at the same time, have a blast? We need these people in our lives!
Multipliers -You want as many of these as you can get! Often, they are mentors who can take us further, faster, in our journey. A few examples of multipliers are:
- People that can Tell You No and Challenge You – These people are crucial in helping us maintain our integrity. They help keep us from making stupid decisions. They inspire and challenge us to do more and go farther!
- People that Dream Bigger and Think Bigger than We Do – Aren’t there some people who you spend time with and afterward you’re dreaming bigger than you ever have and thinking bigger than you ever have?
- People Who Are Doing What we Would like to be Doing – These are people who are farther ahead in the journey than we are. You want to surround yourself with people who are successful in all of the areas you’d like to be successful in. People who are where you’d like to be in your walk with God, financially, relationally, in our careers, and in life.
Evaluate where you are in life right now. Now evaluate the people you surround yourself with. Where you are in life is a reflection of the people you’ve surrounded yourself.
Don’t like where you are or where you’re going? Perhaps it’s time to change your inner circle.
What other kind of people should we surround ourselves with?
Thoughts?
