Why the people around you determine your success

There’s not one factor that determines your success in life and in your career. Skill, experience, an element of luck and attitude all come together to hopefully tip the scales in your favour.

The sometimes forgotten factor is the people around you. Our default social status is to fit in, to be part of the pack. In the workplace that means if everyone else is gossiping or being negative, you’ll likely join in. But it also means that if everyone is proactive and throwing ideas around, you’ll add an idea or two. Or if everyone is celebrating small successes, you’ll acknowledge someone’s positive contribution too.

When it comes to factors you can control - the people around you are a key one. We want to surround ourselves with people who build us up, and we want to be a person who lifts others up, because that’s when the magic happens.

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You reflect those around you

Motivational speaker Jim Rohn once said, “you’re the average of the five people you spend most of your time with”. When was the last time you consciously thought about who you spend time with and the impact they have on you?

Before you get worried, I’m not advising you to leave your spouse or abandon your kids. Instead it’s about examining who you’re surrounded by and whether they’re building you up or tearing you down.

We don’t get to choose our colleagues, but there will be some we gravitate towards more than others. That might be because of the fit of your roles or it might be because you enjoy each other’s company. Every person that you are spending time with will either be adding to your success or taking away from it.

Everyone has bad days but some have more than others. Some find their cup always half empty and they aren’t shy about sharing that with the people around them. Others are overflowing with positivity and spread that to whoever they encounter. If we’re only surrounded by those sharing negative thoughts then that will drag us down, causing us to doubt ourselves, to look for the problems not the solutions and over time it’ll limit us.

If we’re the average of the five people around us then we need to make sure those five people are going to cheer us on, to push us, to inspire us and to encourage us to be the best we can be.

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Lead by example

As a leader you’re only as good as your team. Without them you can’t succeed. An essential part of your role is ensuring you’re being the right person for those in your teams.

You’re in an influential position to change the vibe of the room. Your actions, your responses, your words can help lift others up and set them on the path to success. Creating an environment where success is celebrated will not only benefit the individual, but it’ll also help the business.

We soak up attitudes of those around us - whether we realise it or not. That means if your team is whinging and negative any newcomers will overtime assimilate. For those leaders that manage to cultivate a positive team outlook there’ll be more collaboration, more innovation and more success.

When it comes to surrounding ourselves with the right people we need to make sure we’re looking ahead of us and around us.

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Build a strong network

We need to protect our networks and closest allies fiercely, but also ruthlessly. That means seeking out the best people for our specific needs at that time.

Say for instance, I want to learn how to cook, I wouldn’t just approach anyone - I’d find the best person I knew at cooking or I’d ask friends to recommend someone who they knew made exquisite dishes.

The same needs to go for business.

To build a strong network we need to be constantly looking for the right people, the best people, the most inspiring people, the people we need at that specific moment.

Curate your feed

Our brains are inundated with content from social media feeds, phone notifications, email pings - we’re overwhelmed. There are so many great things on social media that we don’t see. Inspiring speakers who we might never meet in real life, new viewpoints, connections that we would otherwise miss out on due to location.

Take the power back in your social media feeds and begin to curate it. Actively seek out those who inspire you or who make you think. Unfollow or block the distractions or profiles that bring you down.

Harness the idea of social media and curate a feed that energises you and gets your brain ticking.

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Networking and events

If we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with, maybe we need to start changing it up.

By attending networking events or conferences and other trade events we have the opportunity to expand our network. To meet new people and hear from those with different viewpoints to our own. All of this opens up our mind and shows us new ways of doing something or what’s possible.

What better way to strengthen your network than to expand it?

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Podcasts

A whole world of thought is available to us through podcasts. Much like social media you can curate your podcast playlist, allowing you to dip in and out of subjects, to discover new speakers and industry figures and to challenge your way of thinking.

Podcasts which shine a spotlight on one person and allow them time to explore a topic in depth can help to expand your thinking, particularly when combined with a walk in my experience.

It’s not just the people around us who determine our success, but everything we consume digitally. It all impacts your way of thinking and your energy levels which plays a part in whether you succeed or fail.

Find a mentor

We all need someone to look up to. Someone who’s been there, done that and can help us do the same. That’s why mentorship can be so powerful. Often mentors are a level or two above you, having access to someone who can offer practical advice and support on a professional level is invaluable.

With a mentor you can look at your specific circumstances and work out a plan to move forward. It’s a direct line to success. Those with a mentor are five times more likely to be promoted than those without. If you’re serious about succeeding then a mentor is a valuable resource to add to your network.

When it comes to success it’s as much about your attitude as it is your ability. There’s a link between the people around you and your outlook at work.

For those that are serious about progressing in their careers building a strong, supportive and forward-thinking network is crucial. We don’t exist in isolation, we need people around us to lift us up and cheer us as we go.

It’s something we don’t always think about, but taking a proactive approach to curating and expanding your network whether that’s in person or online, will give you a strong base to build on. Just don’t forget about following suit and lifting up those who come after you.
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