…the most powerful of business growth strategies
I think it happens somewhere around the age of thirty or thirty-five when you finally wake-up and realize that your parents were right – about everything! From eating right, to studying, to choosing our friends wisely, turns out our parents were not so stupid after all. Growing up they wanted us to hang out with other kids who got good grades, were well mannered, had interesting hobbies, or in my case were big readers. Why? Because our parents knew that just like what you eat determines the health of your body, who you surround yourself with determines your level of success.
One of my favorite sayings is, “you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” In other words, take a look around, and those you choose to spend time with are the people who are influencing your thoughts, your actions, and the belief system that determines your results. This is true not only in life, but in business as well. If you want to take your business to the next level, then you need to adopt the most powerful of business growth strategies. Luckily for us, it is also one of the easiest of business growth strategies. You need to surround yourself with successful people.
In today’s economy business growth and change can be difficult. These are at best challenging economic times. To succeed you need an innovative business growth plan, a strong focus, and commitment to your strategy. However, while a plan and a strategy are important, if you want to up your game, you need to also “up” the very people who influence your thoughts and your actions.
Success today is about learning, growth and resiliency. Imagine if you want to start eating healthier and getting your diet on track. Isn’t that going to be easier if you surround yourself with people that are trying to do the same thing, or better yet have accomplished the goal? It is the same thing in business, once you know what you want and need to achieve, then you need to create a circle of influence that includes those with the same goals as well as those who have already achieved it.
So how do you get started and what actions do you need to take? Here are four simple strategies to take your business and your life to the next level.
- Make Your List – Okay, make your list, who do you spend the most time with? To get started you need to understand where you are, and where you are has everything to do with how and with whom you spend the most time. Now ask yourself a few questions. What do they have in common? How do they live their lives? How in alignment are they with what you want, how you want to live and what you want to accomplish? If they are great, congratulations, but I am still going to challenge yourself to up your game and think bigger. If they are not, well no worries we have just some work to do. Either way, keep reading.
- Get Off The Porch – You have all heard the expression you can’t run with the big dogs if you are chained to the porch. Well, when it comes to taking your business and your life to the next level you need to let go of the chain and get off the porch. So you need to think about defining, clearly, which big dogs you want to become and which ones you want to run with. What are the skills, traits, connections and actions you need to take your business and your life to the next level? Once you know that, then you need to think about who you know (and don’t know) that embodies them.
- Location, Location, Location – Whether in real estate, life or business location is everything. Once you know who you need to connect with, then you need to put yourself in situations to actually connect with them. Whether this means real physical connection and conversations such as at networking events or conferences, or simply being influenced by them. Doing things like making sure that your mind is “located” to take in their books, articles, and videos. Once you define the success that you want to become, what it is going to take to get there and who embodies that, then you need to put yourself in the location to be influenced and impacted.
- Learn, Grow & Change – this is the easiest of all steps because honestly if you did nothing else but changed who you surrounded yourself with, you will change. There is some type of magic that happens when you strategically place yourself into a group of people have achieved or are working to achieve the same goals as you. So in this step, you need to merely be open, self-aware, and observant. Ask yourself, what are they specifically doing that is enhancing their lives or growing their business? What can I do differently, what can I change, and then simply do it!
One of the greatest pieces of business advice I ever received is to only take business advice from people who had a career and life I wanted to achieve. All too often, whether in business or in life, we don’t take the time to look deeper and consider the source of who is offering us this great advice. While growing your business and reaching the level of success you want may not always be easy, it is pretty simple.
It comes down to hard work, a thirst for knowledge, and then the most powerful of business growth strategies – plant yourself smack in the middle of smart, healthy, positive and successful people. Pay attention to who you spend your time with and whose advice you follow. Take a look at the lives and the businesses of the people you spend time with and pay close attention because that is the life and business you are creating!
