As businesses continue to reward merit, the saying “It’s not what you know, but who you know” comes off as dated, even satirical.
What if the people you know, however, are the ones who help you achieve? The ones who build up your confidence. The ones who allow you to articulate your dreams and ambitions. Then it is about who you know, according to Michael King, a Nebraska-based executive and leadership coach.
“You are who you surround yourself with,” said King, founder of Teams.Coach. “The five loudest voices in our life define us, but we get to choose our influencers in life. Unfortunately, sometimes we get tricked into listening to the wrong people or, even worse, ignoring the right ones. I fell into the trap of believing that I needed to accept the voices that I was dealt. It's important to know what to look for when it comes to identifying influencers in our lives.”
Who are the people one needs in their orbit to reach peak potential? King offered five key archetypes that are necessary to have in your network.
1. People who are passionate about life
“We will do an audit and find out who are the people that are dragging you down so you can avoid them. Instead, choose to surround yourself with optimistic people. Optimism can be a source of power that will help drive you forward.”
2. People who challenge you
“One of the bad habits I see in relationships is sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you are surrounded by ‘yes people,’” King said. “You want people in your inner circle who can challenge you and push you toward your goals. It’s also important to note that when a person challenges you, they are not speaking from a place rooted in criticism. Instead, they ask intentional questions and suggest other approaches to help you have better outcomes.”
3. People who are, simply, good people.
“It’s becoming harder to find people who truly have your best interest in mind,” King said. “A lot of leaders in competitive spaces are in an everybody-is-out-for-themselves sort of situation. Even beyond your professional life, you need people to understand and help you transform dreams and aspirations into realities.”
4. People who listen to you
“Understanding is an art,” King said. “That’s true in coaching situations and, really, in any relationship. When you have people who authentically listen, it arms you to take the right steps and make the right decisions. When you lack those people, the advice you get may be skewed by bias.”
5. People who cheer you on
"I have to choose to have people around me who are experts, who know more. Having those types of influences can be mutually beneficial. It fuels your fire and it fuels their fire. While they are supporting you, you also have to flip those conversations to help others achieve greatness and success. There needs to be a level of investment from each party.”
Finding your five
The importance of an individual’s network in shaping their personal and professional lives was one of the key motivators in helping King and his company, Teams.Coach, develop the Aspire program. Aspire not only addresses leadership skills that translate from the C-suite on down, but it also connects members with a group of like-minded, growth-oriented individuals in a virtual community of support. “What’s so awesome about Aspire is we cheer each other on, tell stories, understand everyone’s passions and motivations,” King said. “We don’t want anything out of these relationships and feel so much value when you succeed in your pursuits.”
The program’s numerous growth opportunities include group coaching, access to the Teams.Coach app and a library of video content that helps you stay on track.
“We wanted to create something that was methodical and simple in its approach to help anybody unlock their next level and make it accessible,” King said. “Even going through this process, they are going to get access to the types of communities that foster transformation, and for those that are brave enough, motivated enough to take the step, there are these valuable one-on-one coaching programs.”
