One of the most powerful leadership resources (for lack of a better word) that has influenced my leadership walk is my inner circle. My circle has evolved over the years depending on my life’s season. Today my inner circle is made up of present and former colleagues as well as a few close family members and friends, and I hold these relationships in high regard. These are the people I’ve learned a great deal from. They directly influence how I lead and how I make decisions. Their strengths complement my own.
However, my inner circle is also the group with whom I’ve invested a lot of my own time, energy and knowledge. Having an inner circle is just as much about “giving” as it is about “getting.” We should grow as a result of our inner circle, but we should also seek to grow and add value to the others inside of it. Here are six questions for you to answer about your inner circle:
1. Who is in your circle?
2. How does your inner circle influence you?
3. How are you bringing value to each person in your circle as a leader?
4. How are you helping to make each individual a better person?
5. What are the unique qualities that only you bring to your circle?
6. Who needs to be in your circle that isn’t?
Because our inner circles can (and should) be so influential in our lives, they require an occasional check-up to determine if they’re still fulfilling the role that we need them to fulfill AND to analyze if we are living up to others’ expectations and needs by giving back to those in our circle.
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