- Geekmaster
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2,902
- 2021-04-02 08:10:16
- 21 minute(s)
Exclusive Personality Types Leaders Should Include In Their Inner Circle
I once read somewhere that you are the average of the 5 people you spend most of your time with. But are these people the right fit for us? Should they be a part of our inner circle? Most of all, should they be given a major role in the direction of our lives? Are there specific and exclusive personality types leaders include in their inner circle to become so successful?
It matters who you let into your inner circle. Why? Because we are social beings.
None of us — despite all the hype of “self-made people” — do anything big all by ourselves. It is the social constructs that create the needed “safe” space to first belong fully, as oneself. So, until we can belong, we cannot bring our fullest ideas to the table.
Who’s in your inner circle? Or do you even have one? I think it is important to establish and maintain an inner circle of people who will inspire you.
The people in your inner circle will hold you to a higher standard and push you when you feel that you can’t push yourself. They’re the ones who will keep it all the way 100 with you no matter what. When you’re wrong or out of line, they’ll let you know. The same goes when you’re right. I believe that we all want a strong inner circle.
While you may or may not have a trusted group of your own, you’ll be hard pressed to find any strong leader who doesn’t have an indispensable team of their own.
Why? The benefits are huge. From sharing insights and perspectives on how to reach your goals, to helping to decipher what’s getting in your way, these people know us. And if you choose wisely, these people aren’t afraid to hold the mirror up to us and help us address our challenges head-on. They also are the crew that will cheer you on as you achieve the wins along the way.
What kind of people should you include in your inner circle? Here are seven personality types to look for.
It’s important to include exclusive personality types within your inner circle, but only if their strengths are positive ones. Negativity will ruin your inner circle and render it useless to support you and your growth. This article will analyze how to setup your inner circle to support your success and purpose in life.
Type #1: The Booster
Positive people seem to have an inherent “can do” attitude and are able to see the best in any type of situation. They don’t dwell on the negative, they find a lesson to learn from mistakes and keep moving ahead. Negative people, on the other hand, tend to remain stuck on the ‘worst case scenario‘ or usually don’t like to take responsibility for what’s going on in their world, which can drain your energy, drive, and keep you stuck in similar self-defeating thoughts.
The Re-Energizer or Booster is a person you can call when you need a boost of energy and inspiration.
This person is your number one motivator and voice of inspiration when you are feeling down. They are constantly pushing you to write out and meet new goals. They see a higher purpose within you and take an enthusiastic approach to fill you with energy.
A booster understands your goals and will keep pushing you towards your goals.
He or she helps you to maintain your focus when you may veer from your intended path. You’ll find yourself enthusiastic and infused with energy when around such motivators. This doesn’t mean that those close to you need to have similar goals. Nor do they need to be interested in the same things. If they inspire you, tune in to what it is about their mentality, habits, quirks that you find inspirational.
Energizers are often leaders who listen first and respond last.
They’re constantly looking for the positives within people and with others’ ideas. Probably most importantly, Energizers provide constructive criticism. Validating people and their ideas is what empowers people, especially within a workplace. You can’t do this without actively listening and giving constructive input to their ideas and goals.
Energizers lead with their vision and passion for projects. They act on their intuition, and like to be the decision makers that get things started.
They don’t mind if their idea is new. They are happy pioneers who are good at creating original ways to do things. They are energetic, self-directed, even when they are perceived as non-conformists in making deals that will advance the pursuit of their dreams. They accept responsibility for their decisions, admit they are fallible, but view shortcomings or failures simply as stepping stones on the road to success.
Enthusiasm is the greatest strength of those with an Energizer personality.
Energizers are more feeling-oriented and assertive; they are concerned with appreciation and approval but less concerned with deadlines and rules. These folks tend to be creative, outgoing and risk takers. Energizers really want people to like them and to be enthused and excited about their mission, so they make great entrepreneurs.
Type #2: The Cheerleader
The Cheerleader is the person who celebrates the progress, not just the outcome; the person who knows how hard you worked on something and says, “Hey there, congratulations on showing up to the game of life.”
Your cheerleader can be anyone — a friend, a coworker, a spouse, or a parent.
This isn’t the person who’s going to give you critical feedback, but rather the person who’s going to make you feel confident before you get in the room. Hockey players will warm up their goalie up before a game with practice shots that are easy to block. The goal, in those final minutes, is to build the goalie’s assurance, not his skill.
Your cheerleader is someone who believes in you.
This person is your biggest supporter. Someone who has always believed in you and who you can rely on to give the extra motivation you need. You conjure energy from your conversations with them. They help you imagine beyond your own beliefs and bring new possibilities to what you see as achievable.
Nonetheless, beware of the fan girl : To this person, you can do no wrong.
You’re perfect. You never make mistakes. Except that no one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes. The fan girl has ulterior motives, but it’s possible they aren’t even aware of it. You know what they say – if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. This goes for people, too.
When we deeply connect with cheerleaders, it’s largely built on mutual support and respect.
Search for people who are generous with their time and ideas, and commit to reciprocating. These charitable people won’t just sit by and listen; they are the people who you can let your guard down with. Through the strength of a trusting relationship, you dare each other to expand your mindsets and possibilities.
We all have self-doubts from time to time. Our confidence is shaken.
We lack the faith in our talents and skills to go for an important promotion or launch a new initiative. Having someone like a cheerleader believe in you at these times is priceless. The stories of great men and women are saturated with examples of someone who believed in them even when they didn’t fully believe in themselves.
“You can do it.” “I know you can.” These are words that are all-too-infrequently voiced.
Sincere encouragement can go a long way in helping someone stay the course. The more specific cheerleaders are, the better the results. And when they share from their own experience — especially their failures — they increase empathy, they’re more approachable, and they become more relatable for others.
Type #3: The Trusted Confidant
During any upward entrepreneurial or career trajectory, you’ll find yourself in need (sometimes desperately!) of a listening and trusting ear. This should be someone unbiased, and who will always remain mum about all things discussed. This person is well rounded and able to give you advice that’s holistic, supportive yet constructively critical.
Pick your confidant wisely, because this person will hold various pieces of your inner thoughts, fears and secrets.
Let’s be honest — we all have trust issues to varying degrees. Betrayals and disappointments of all kinds are simply a part of life. No matter how big or small, the effects of betrayals can stick around for a long time. Being mindful of what you share with others means taking the time to build mutual trust. Remember, if you express what is sacred to you and someone still betrays you, you have every right to walk away.
Deep support is being with those who can see beyond whatever role, job, or project you have at any moment.
Not what you’ve done and are doing, but who you are, and even who you are becoming. It is that person who offers that safe space to explore emerging ideas, who can really say, “I believe in you,” even as circumstances change. This deep support is what lets you take risks, which is the precondition for any time of growth — both personal and business.
A confidant always offers empathy. Not sympathy. Sympathy involves feeling bad about the situation, while empathy involves being able to actually identify with the situation.
Anyone can feel bad for you, but not everyone is willing to step into your shoes and allow themselves to feel exactly what you’re feeling. When someone offers empathy, it’s a demonstration that they truly care about you, because they are putting themselves in the mindset to relate to you in an intimate way. When you confide in someone, you want someone who is going to try their best to see and feel the problem from your perspective, while maintaining objectivity in order to protect you from aspects of the situation you may have missed.
Confidants are those people in your life that love you unconditionally and who are 100% into you as a person.
They don’t care whether you are in pain or happy, right or wrong…they don’t care if you are in trouble, because they will get into trouble with you. They will come visit you when you are down and they will drag you out of a place of hell. You can open up and share anything with these people because they believe in you. Confidants are people who feed you while you are feeding the minds of other people. They are those who make you reach out for more when you are already living a good life.
Confidants are people who are around you because they are into you.
They buy into you as a person and therefore are willing to be by your side whether you are up or down, in victory or defeated, right or wrong. They are however wise enough to tell you when you are wrong. You can share anything with them. They are there for the long haul. They are there when you are up or down and if you get into trouble they’ll get into trouble with you.
Confidants are are so powerfully special that no matter what, whether you show a frailty or a strength, they treat you with an expectation of greatness!
You will have very few of them, and that’s okay. If you have just two or three of these in your lifetime, you are an exception. And since there is only so much time and energy to meaningfully reciprocate this level of relational privilege, you cannot effectively be responsible to more than just a few Confidants anyway.
Type #4: The Dreamer
Creatives are people who make the impossible, possible. When it comes to solving problems, they think out of the box. They are often innovative in their approach to solving problems. If it weren’t for visionaries, we wouldn’t be able to fly by plane, hold a smartphone in our hands, or communicate with people via Skype.
We need dreamers because they are visionaries.
Some people will argue that they’re unrealistic. But trust me, we need dreamers. Dreamers see the world as their playground. They don’t believe in limits. They are able to find opportunities even in the smallest of spaces where success may seem unlikely. You need them in your inner circle because they are creative. Your creativity will be enhanced when in the presence of dreamers.
Surround yourself with creative, smart, good, honest people and good things will happen.
It’s easy to assume that creativity is something that comes from within. Something we posses in large or small measure. But recent research shows how our creative abilities grow or shrink based on the situations we find ourselves in and on the people around us. Surprisingly, the friends and co-workers who make us feel most validated and at home may be draining our abilities to forge new creative paths and make bold changes.
Dreamers are the ones who have big plans for themselves.
Others may call them ambitious or delirious, depending on where they’re coming from but regardless, these people are the ones who know the value of setting big goals and going after them. Surrounding yourself with people like these will help you achieve and do greater things in life. They add meaning and purpose to your existence.
Thinkers and dreamers are what I like to refer to as the idea creators.
They look at options with an outside-the-box approach. You can either give them a direction to run with, or give them a basic concept and let them come up with something from scratch. They are also the people who can look at a problem and offer an alternative solution. While I’m promoting the dreamers and thinkers, don’t get me wrong — a dreamer without an ability to enact on those dreams will not go very far. This is why we suggest surrounding yourself with creative individuals. Allow them to inspire you. Allow yourself to utilize their passions to create truly amazing projects.
The fact that there are people striving for the impossible means that the improbable does happen.
Men and women who want to excel are visionaries who believe that their visions needn’t remain in their imaginations, but that they can be fully realized. Visionary leaders have the ability to look into the future and create a map to a new area. Then, they get others to follow until the vision is a reality. Visionaries are inspired and maybe a bit obsessed. This is precisely why they create what they want from their imagination.
Type #5: The Mentor
Mentors are people that have walked the journey you admire to walk. They have reached the goals you have set financially, business-wise, spiritually, educationally or whatever aspect of life you are reaching for. They know the struggles and can advise you with pure feedback. Mentors understand your destination, know what it takes to get there and will correct course if needed.
A mentor is a person more experienced with wisdom to share and desire to help you succeed.
In terms of where you hope to be or what you hope to achieve, this person has seen it all. From what to expect and what to avoid, they are willing to share it all with you. Whether through a phone call or face-to-face meeting, your mentor is there to offer constructive criticism, industry knowledge, words of encouragement, and a fresh perspective to help see you grow.
The traditional image of a mentor is as a sort of all-knowing seer, but this isn’t exactly the truth.
A mentor is simply further along in their career, and while they haven’t learned everything, they definitely know more than you. By seeking the guidance of a mentor, you can streamline your learning process and cut through a lot of the initial learning curve in learning about your field. This means that you can benefit from their hard-earned knowledge and hit the fast forward button on your own journey.
When you need to ask someone’s opinion on a big decision, you can turn to your trusted mentor for advice.
It’s often easier for someone outside of yourself to notice where you need improvement. A mentor gets to know your strengths and weaknesses over time and can play a critical role in helping you become the best version of yourself.
We can’t see ourselves. Even the best golfer in the world needs a coach to point out how and where they have room to improve.
Whether your goal is career advancement, entrepreneurship or you are job seeking, if you need to soar, deliver great results and reach the zenith of your potential at work, you need to get a mentor. We need people outside of our heads and our circumstances to see where we are struggling and where we are succeeding so that they can point out high impact changes we can make.
Having a mentor can help you develop new perspectives by allowing you to see things from his or her viewpoint.
We often fall into the trap of thinking that our way is the only way. Thankfully, that isn’t true. So, learn new ways of looking at challenges and problems in your work so you can see them from new angles. In addition, a mentor can show you what mistakes to avoid. By learning from your mentor’s mistakes, you can avoid those and move faster to the career success you want.
Type #6: The Learner
One thing successful people aren’t afraid to do is seek new knowledge, new ideas, and try new ways of doing things. They are constant learners. They realize that knowledge is dynamic. What worked a few years ago might not work this year.
An expert in your field of aspiration will help you think outside the box, presents ideas and pushes you to aim higher.
They will be able to give you inside information because they have been there and done that. These people open your eyes to new lines of thinking, push back on your prejudices, and expand upon your network. You may not always like what you hear, but you will receive the honest (and sometimes blunt) answers you need to hear.
Be actively pursuing knowledge from the Successful Ones. Be active in putting to use their advice.
You need to learn everything you can about the business or your field and you need to learn it from the experts who are already successful and have proven strategies and techniques that lead to success. Most of the experts nowadays offer courses. These are fantastic sources of knowledge, often accompanied by coaching options. Great investments for your future.
If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.
As a Business Leader, the last thing you want in your company is to surround yourself with yes people. That doesn’t do you or anyone else any good. Nobody who’s honest and intelligent will tell you how phenomenal you are all the time. If you want a pat on the back, call your mom. If you want to build and grow a successful company, surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.
The right circle of influence raises the bar, helping us to set new, loftier expectations of ourselves.
Oftentimes we don’t know what we are capable of until we see others achieve. It’s not an accident that organizations like Summit Series, EO, and YPO are so popular and successful among achievers — when we surround ourselves with positive, successful people they consciously (and subconsciously) challenge us to be our best selves. We need people — whether it’s teachers, mentors, family or trusted friends who challenge us and push us to be better.
That said, smart is a tricky word. You can gain perspective from all kinds of people.
People with diverse backgrounds — college graduates and high school dropouts, type-A executives and yoga instructors. In other words, a smarter person is one who makes you think about something in a new and unexpected way. Recognize your shortcomings and what you need help with. Gain enough contextual knowledge to be credible and seek out others to fill in the gaps.
Surround yourself with people you can learn from, strive to be better and do not end your life without leaving a legacy.
We all need coaches, someone else to help us see and think outside of our narrow perspective and outside of the box. We need someone who sees our potential even when we have not yet accepted it in ourselves. Surround yourself with people you can learn from, strive to be to better and do not end your life without leaving a legacy.
Type #7: The Fearless Adventurer
Successful people overcome adversity. Sure, they’ve had their fair share of failures and challenges, but it’s overcoming them that makes them stronger. Instead of allowing adversity to hold them back, they see it as challenge to turn things around.
Adventurous are the type of people that will do crazy things with you on a whim.
You don’t need to convince them. If you’re game, they’re game. Having spontaneous people around reminds you that life is short and you need to take the time to enjoy as much of what it has to offer. Adventure doesn’t have to be something that happens to someone else. The adventuresome know that we all live on the cusp of incredible potential.
Adventurous people know the importance of seizing windows of opportunity.
The past is past, the future is created and the present is a gift. They know that once upon a time they made the decision to catch that train, that boat, that flight; and their life changed. Why wait for tomorrow to make a decision?
We all have worries and fears. We are caught in the act of not knowing how the world will respond to our actions or decisions.
However the adventurous is not worried about the outer world. Rather the adventurous person is concerned in dealing with and conquering his inner barriers and winning from the inside. They don’t get lost in their fears and worries; rather, they manage them.
Surrounding with fearless adventurous helps you develop new skills too.
If you are not afraid, you get to try new things. When you try new things, you are actually developing your skills. Pick up a new hobby, attend that class you have been meaning to attend, or undergo that training. Eventually, you will realize that all these undertakings are some sort of preparation for something bigger.
In addition, cheddars are the persons who will deliberately poke holes in your ideas, sometimes in a way that is deeply unsettling.
These persons are responsible for much of the critical thinking within the inner circle. They’re important because you’ll need their input which comes from them asking questions. They are the voice of reason and won’t allow you to spend too much time with your head in the clouds. In the words of billionaire investor Charlie Munger, “knowing what you don’t know is more useful than being brilliant.”
Wrapping Up
You cannot accomplish great things alone or with unproductive relationships. You need a team around you who will bring out the best in you. You want people who believe in you and who will go the extra mile to help you manifest your dreams.
The people you let into your heart or life should be special and should see you as such.
They should love you and accept you for who you are, criticize you when you make mistakes, and congratulate you when you succeed, without trying to change you or going behind your back. And help you turn your dreams into reality and move forward, even when forward means far from them.
No matter whom you’ve decided to join your inner circle, be sure each person is on your team and genuinely wants to see you succeed.
Everyone holds layers, and as the layers peel, be sure to gravitate toward those who demonstrate explicate and genuine loyalty. Think long and hard about the company you keep, and ponder if you’ve obtained the above personalities in your ever so vital, social foundation.
Peter Thiel says the one thing he tries to do every day is to have a conversation with some of the smartest people I know and continue to develop my thinking.
In a time of Covid and lockdowns when it’s easy to get stuck in the same Groundhog-Day existence it’s more important than ever to break out of the tired ways we do things and build a circle of trusted advisers who bring different personalities and points of view.
Having different perspectives will force you to think about other possibilities and alternatives.
The people in your inner circle should make you a better person. Regardless of how talented we might be, enlisting the advice and perspectives from the people we truly trust is a critical success factor in nurturing our careers. They should support you and push you towards your goals. They should inspire and transform you.
Now, it’s your turn to get started on creating your own inner circle of success!
Successful leaders have a few characteristics in common. Let’s see, they have a vision, they are risk takers and they surround themselves with winners! Let me know what your thoughts are by leaving a comment and don’t forget to share. Thanks for reading.
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