Last week I was complaining to Lynn about booking three events on consecutive days that will require me to travel to Florida, Las Vegas and then back to Florida. March Madness has me a little travel weary and I shot her a quick note:
“Lynn, hit the pause button. We need to discuss Florida to Vegas and back. That is aggressive.”
She responded appropriately:
“Seriously, Ryan? Stop whining and hustle!!”
I started laughing and of course, we are now committed to delivering those three events. It was absolutely the right call and now you know a little bit more about our culture and shared commitment to what we are building. It truly is a team effort.
Who you surround yourself with is the single most important decision you have as a leader. As an entrepreneur, the first couple of hires typically make or break the business.
I had the great privilege of seeing Jim Rohn speak live before he passed. I was just starting my career and I still have my notes from his session. I haven’t forgotten this little pearl of wisdom:
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
Let’s face it: The people we surround ourselves with influence our perspective and shape how we experience the world around us. Choosing the right people can propel you forward.
I continue to benefit from spending time with people who are invested in helping me become a better version of myself. I’m learning and growing from their example. Occasionally, as is often the case with Lynn, the benefit comes in the form of a direct challenge or a push in the right direction.
I’m grateful and better for it. If you want to raise your own capability and continue making forward progress, it pays to ask yourself: Who am I spending time with? How is that working?
Ryan Estis & Associates is a training and development organization helping companies, leaders, sales people and individual contributors embrace change and achieve breakthrough performance in the new economy. We offer keynotes, live classroom training and online learning that blends interaction, energy and actionable content designed to elevate performance. Contact us for programming inquiries and assistance determining the curriculum that could best support your learning and development objectives.
