How we spend our lives is determined by how we spend our days and the people we choose to surround us. Our chosen group shapes our actions, reactions, inactions, interactions and success. On average, we spend a third of our days at work, and this level of commitment should be in the midst of a deliberately developed team of individuals to help unlock our true potential. As I have coached top C-Suites around the world, one factor has always been present in discussing each individual’s journey to success. Each and every story of achievement and accomplishment was built on a deliberate foundation of the people key to developing that result. As you continue your journey to success, surround yourself with the seven people who hold the keys to unlocking your true potential.
The Mentor
As you stand at the starting line of your professional life, many questions loom in the great unknown of your future. The first key to finding your path to success is connecting with a mentor. You cannot force this or recruit for this. The best mentors come naturally and may change as you progress through your career. Mentors will provide knowledge, information and guidance. They will help improve strengths and overcome weaknesses in a confidential partnership, trusted relationship and personally meaningful commitment to one another.
The Confidant
Every good leader needs a sounding board. One committed to open, honest, objective feedback and opinions. This individual will provide you confidential, unbiased, holistic advice to aid your decision making process while always respecting the freedom for you to make your own decisions.
The Cheerleader
Regardless of your level of responsibility, everyone needs an enthusiastic and vocal supporter. This person is your sunshine on a rainy day -- they are the ray of light on the stressful, overloaded weeks. Each leader should know who their cheerleader is and relish in their continual and unwavering motivation and confidence to accelerate your performance.
The Thinker
This is the quiet person who always has that pondering look on their face after you deliver what you think is the best plan you have ever made. Then, after an awkwardly silent pause, they highlight the areas you did not think of or need to improve. This person is a reader and intellectual, one that knows the current trends and techniques and is willing to offer their knowledge, always in a nonintrusive way, for the success of both you and the team.
The Questioner
Every team has the one person who always opens with a question, the "why" person who queries assumptions, plans and projects. While to many this may be frustrating, the best leaders harness this skill for the power of good. Questioning everything must be a condition of admission to this team of advisors.
The Challenger
The irritating in-house critic can be a motivation black hole, but a strong leader will harness this power for the good of the team. Inputs from this devil’s advocate must be framed correctly with a goal of reducing uncertainty, not killing the project. The individual must be interactive in your development and execution and not just a naysayer after the fact. Additionally, they must know that when they throw a spear, it needs a sticky note on it with a recommendation for improvement. This is a vital aspect of positive change.
The Intern
The primary purpose of an intern is to provide real work experience to increase professional skills and competencies. But for you, an intern will serve as a driving factor to force the examination of how and why you do things the way you do. They will ask the hard questions. A fighter pilot knows that when you take off on a solo flight, you have the skills for a successful flight -- but only when you can instruct others in the basics of flight will you truly experience your highest level of skill. Becoming an instructor forces us to not focus on ourselves but on someone else instead.
The first duty of a leader is to grow more leaders. From this simple statement, it becomes clear why the key to unlocking your true potential begins with a mentor and ends with an intern. Be deliberate in those you surround yourself with and meticulous in your journey to realize your true potential.
