As humans, we are creatures of habit. We love routine, we love certainty and we love to be comfortable. Often this level of comfort can lead us to forming habits which become automatic and difficult to break, even if they are leading to suboptimal results. And often this can lead to us finding ourselves in a rut – a rut that is difficult to climb out of because it has developed such depth. The interesting thing about this is that the people you are surrounded by are more often than not in exactly the same position, and in the same rut. Because, as the saying goes, ‘Birds of a Feather, Flock Together’.
I’ll never forget the words an early mentor shared with me in the early stages of my sales leadership career. I was busy and totally focused on making my mark in the corporate world, to establish my sales leadership credentials and become successful. He said ‘If you want to be successful, hang around with successful people’. At the time, I thought what a simple concept and really did not give it much thought, but over the years, those simple words have become more powerful and more profound – and 100% correct. As Darren Hardy, successful entrepreneur says ‘Hang with those who have a common future, not a common past’. We literally do become like those we surround ourselves with. In fact, research suggests that you are the ‘average’ of the 5 closest people you constantly surround yourself with, so it is important to choose wisely. Continue Reading