Who should leaders surround themselves with?
Every quarter, I make an effort to check in with my mentors, one of them being, Norm Brodsky.
In conversation with him, he told me, “You are not like most entrepreneurs.”
I laughed; I have a MFA -Masters of Fine Art - which teaches quite a different set of skills than the standard MBA. Specializing in the arts gives me unique perspectives on business that most entrepreneurs wouldn’t notice. I asked him exactly what he meant.
He said something to the effect of, “I like working with you. Most business owners come in when something is terribly wrong and needs to be fixed. You come in to bounce ideas off of me during your planning process. You know what you don’t know.”
I smiled because it is true. In many, many of the leadership sessions and trainings that I have attended, I hear, “Great leaders surround themselves with greater people.” One of the benefits of surrounding yourself with great people is that you can ask them to share their experiences with you. That can range from how they solved a particular problem to what are the toughest lessons they learned to get to where they are today.
In nearly two decades of experience working with leaders and being an entrepreneur, I myself, have discovered that great leaders ensure that they are never the smartest person in the room.
A way for a leader to have the most powerful impact is by surrounding themselves with people smarter than themselves.
"People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together." -- Michelle Obama
As the Founder of TwoLine Studios, I have balanced my team with mentors, coaches, reflectors, subject matter experts, and creative problem solvers.
Below is a checklist of what to look for in the type of people you should surround yourself with:
They Support Your Individual Exploration
People you surround yourself with should be good listeners and reflect back on what is being said with your best interest in mind. They should have conquered the art of deep listening in order to make sure you’re clear on what is being communicated.
They Challenge You
Surrounding yourself with smarter people means they are the person in the room who isn’t afraid to ask or respond to challenging questions. They always have the goal of helping others see from a different perspective.
They Support Your Professional Pursuits
Whether it be from a coach, mentor, subject matter expert, or creative problem solver, surrounding yourself with someone who can share valuable insights from going through the ups and downs of your industry is an important part of becoming a greater leader.
At TwoLine Studios, we design immersive experiences, graphic facilitate and our founder, Heather Willems, coaches leaders to reflect on big ideas and put those ideas into action.
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