Most business issues usually come down to a disparity between where the business is with something and where it wants to be. The question that is always asked in some form is essentially ‘How do we get from here to there?’. The much better question would be ‘Who can get us from here to there?’
The ‘How do we…?’ questions fall away once you surround yourself with people who experts in their fields already and know the best answers not just to the questions you are posing, but also to the questions you haven’t yet realised need to be asked.
The single most powerful element of any business is people. You can have all the strategies, techniques and systems in place that you like, but you will not excel without the right people.
The People Who Make Up Your Team
Whilst this is an obvious statement to make, it should not be forgotten that no single businessperson on this planet excels at absolutely everything. The goal of any business should be to build a team of the most skilled and capable people possible and place them in roles ideally suited to them.
The best businesses are no different to the best sports teams – each team needs to consist of individuals who excel in their particular niches, and whose unique combination with other individuals produces more than the sum of the parts.
Try to hire people who are different to you – replicating your own skills and characteristics in your hiring of others will not produce a rounded and complete team.
Keep in mind that your ‘team’ doesn’t just consist of your employees, it extends to include all those with whom your business comes in contact such as suppliers, contractors, consultants, distributors, partners and so on.
The People Who Surround You
We become what we surround ourselves with, so proximity on a regular basis to the right people is extremely powerful. It forces you to be accountable to them, it saves you huge amounts of otherwise wasted time and money by modelling from them and it enables you to make invaluable contacts.
Being in proximity to people performing at a higher level than you forces you to keep up – always try to be one of the least expert people in the room in order to achieve maximum growth and development.
Meet as diverse a collection of high-performing people as possible to obtain as many different insights, strategies, ideas and systems as possible.
The information provided here is not investment, tax or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation.
