ARE YOU SURROUNDING YOURSELF WITH THE RIGHT PEOPLE?

For years I surrounded myself with the wrong people. By “wrong” I don’t mean that these people were bad in any sense [well, most of them anyway] but, they didn’t contribute to my well-being and quality of living either. And perhaps, I didn’t contribute to theirs.

The environment that your forge, the people you forge alliances with, and the personality and quality of mindset you create as a result of your company has a massive impact on the path you are living today. You might be thinking “but everything that has happened to me so far has been by chance, or destiny.” Well, maybe it has, but you are creating those chances and designing that destiny right now in this moment. You can make the choices who is going to walk with you on this journey. Some people are just along for the ride; others want to help you win the race.

Forging Alliances

For years I defeated myself by forging alliances with people that I later learned were on completely different paths than I. And this doesn’t just mean acquaintances but jobs I took and people I worked with. Everyone plays a role in each others life and, instead of just going with the flow of each person you are interacting with, you have to analyze, think and govern the situation so that you don’t let it drag you into something that could have a negative impact. Forge the wrong relationships and you will set yourself up for failure.

What you need to do is forge an alliance with people who are working towards a similar goal. Preferably a common goal where you can support and encourage each other. These don’t have to be your friends and don’t limit yourself to just the people you know; chances are they aren’t part of your particular alliance you want to create.

“A Mastermind alliance is built of two or more minds working actively together in perfect harmony toward a common definite object.”

— Napoleon Hill

Alliances and Partnerships that made history

Steve Jobs partnered with Steve Wozniac and founded Apple, launching the Apple I and II. While Jobs took care of the marketing, Wozniac crushed it with the invention of the products.

Henry Ford partnered with James J. Couzins and it saved the company from possibly going bankrupt. While Ford was a perfectionist and paid scrutinizing detail to the craftsmanship of the automobile, he failed to meet deadlines and would stall for months without shipping any cars. It was James J. Couzins that focused on the business side of things and convinced Ford that “Either we ship these cars or go bankrupt.” They shipped the cars.

Famed puppeteer and Muppet Creator Jim Henson [Kermit the Frog] partnered with Frank Oz [Ms. Piggy, Yoda] to create some of the most memorable characters still in “show biz” today. The two had a partnership for 27 years until Henson’s untimely death in 1990.

Have you ever heard of that internet thing called Google? Larry Page met Sergey Brin and they founded the worlds largest search engine and the most successful dot-com business in history.

Legendary film makers Steven Spielberg and George Lucas teamed up in the early 70s after showing admiration for each others fieldwork. They then partnered up, both on screen and off, and collaborated to bring moviegoers the Indiana Jones series.

In 1934 Bill Hewlitt and david packard forged a relationship that eventually led to the Hewlett-packard company, which today is worth an estimated 104.3 billion in annual sales.

Driven By Common Goals

Partnerships. Relationships. Driven by a common goal with clear-cut objectives to reach a seemingly impossible outcome if attempted alone. Whatever it is that you are aiming for, seek out those people that are ready to reach out and help you. The relationships you forge with others who become part of your alliance may last for a few years [Jobs and Wozniac] or thirty years [Henson and Oz]. But one thing is certain. Nobody can do it alone.

People need people to make it to the finish line. You won’t cross it on your own if you keep stumbling, because when you do, your partners and trusted allies will be there to carry you across. Find those people who you can make powerful partnerships with, be clear about your aim, and work out a strategy that builds your business, your brand and adds value to people’s lives. Just take a look at any company or success story and you’ll see a team of people who contributed to the overall success of the one or pair of individuals.

Take-Away Action Plan

1. Be clear about what your plan is. If you have a strategy, right it down.

2. Join a mastermind group that supports each others ideas and goals. Even though you may not find that perfect “partner” to work with, just being in touch with others and sharing your ideas is going to open up doors.

3. Find an accountability partner. This is someone that keeps you focused, organized and moving towards your goal. You don’t necessarily have to have the same objective, but the person holds you accountable for deadlines and getting work done. If you don’t have an accountability partner now, you can start with this online app.

4. Be clear about your objectives and mission. If you don’t know what you want, you’ll attract the same like-minded people: an alliance of individuals that don’t know what they want. Do you just want your ship to sail endlessly, or do you want it to reach a specific destination? Your team will help you get there, but they can’t help you if you have no map for getting there. Be clear about what you want. Be clear about who you want to help you get there.

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