Leadership Is A Team Sport
Brant Menswar
High-Energy Keynote Speaker, Author, Coach. Be Better NOW! Follow for strategies on performing better at work, at home, and in life | NEW BOOK - Designing Momentum - May 6, 2025 - Wiley
Over the last few weeks, I've spent a good deal of time advising leaders who need to make some really important decisions. Whether it is making a significant career change, letting a long-time employee go, or trying to come up with a strategy to resuscitate a culture in distress, the importance of having a small trusted inner circle has proven paramount. If there is one thing that has stood out during these conversations it's that...
Leadership is a TEAM SPORT.
When we place the pressure of monumental decisions solely on our shoulders, we put ourselves in a nearly impossible situation. Some might be saying, "This is what leadership is!" That is simply not true. We were built for community. That is why a sense of belonging is so powerful.
I've had the opportunity to speak at several leadership masterminds over the last few months with truly incredible entrepreneurs. These are people who have experienced 7-8 and 9-figure exits. Do you want to know what that level of success creates?
EXTREME LONELINESS.
The more you succeed, the more people want from you. The more people want, the harder it is to find a true inner circle that cares for you and your well-being as much as your "success."
John Wooden, the legendary UCLA basketball coach, had a simple yet powerful exercise to help you decide who should be in your inner circle. His advice was rooted in the belief that "you'll never outperform your inner circle," emphasizing the importance of surrounding yourself with the right people.
The Exercise
Here's how you can apply Wooden's exercise:
Reflect and Analyze
Once you have your lists, take a moment to reflect on the following:
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The Impact of Your Inner Circle
By regularly (every year) evaluating and improving your inner circle, you ensure that you are surrounded by individuals who contribute positively to your personal and professional growth. This exercise helps you identify who truly supports and challenges you, aligning with John Wooden's philosophy that your success is closely tied to the quality of your inner circle.
This is a fantastic practical tool for leaders to ensure they are continually surrounded by the right people, fostering a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose within their teams and organizations.
Burning Questions
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Until next week, keep burning bright.
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Brant Menswar stands at the forefront of corporate transformation, masterfully equipping both organizations and individual trailblazers to navigate the current work landscape and ascend to new heights of performance. He is a best-selling author, certified in the Psychology of Leadership from Cornell University, named one of the country's top speakers, and is well on his way to achieving his goal of helping 500,000 people discover their non-negotiable values.
His dynamic live events are a fusion of groundbreaking research and powerful narratives that ignite an emotional call to action among attendees. With more than a decade of strategic involvement with elite global brands, Brant has honed an unparalleled expertise in catalyzing connection, sparking engagement, and driving exponential growth.
Check out Brant's website HERE.
Innovation in Aviation, Autonomy and AI
9 个月This is one of the most effective actions a leader can take—and one of the hardest. Reconnecting with those who “sharpened your iron,” especially those with whom we’ve lost contact, can be a daunting task. More challenging, and perhaps even harder to do, is realize that some professional relationships have turned toxic, and end up blunting insight and inspiration. We’ve all lived through this, yet it remains one of the hardest decisions to take. I used to tell my team “The hardest thing you’ll do today is pick up the phone and speak with someone you don’t want to.” It wasn’t because of personality, conflicts or disagreement. In many cases, the most difficult call was to someone who could help, but which you had for some reason cast aside. Just like we never want to be the smartest person in the room, you want to surround yourself with those who exceed your capability. Identifying and nurturing those relationships has more to do with giving than receiving. A great topic for a future discussion!
Financial Planner at Century Hill Financial Group
9 个月Now you have me sitting on my couch writing a list. I have had the privilege of meeting some great people and enjoying a moment or 2 with them. It's time to start cultivating and building a great inner circle. Thanks.