Have you heard the phrase, build your tribe carefully? You probably have but have you really thought about what that means in terms of your business. Well, I have been thinking about it a lot lately. Merriam-Webster defines a tribe as a group of persons having a common character, occupation, or interest. But was does this mean in terms of business? Let’s break it down by asking ourselves some questions.

  • Who are the persons that I surround myself with in my business? These aren’t necessarily people that you work with or who work for you. These are the people you go to when you need someone to bounce something off. These are the people who hold you accountable.
  • Does your tribe lift you as much as you life them? This doesn’t mean that it is equal all the time but is it happening enough for each of you to make it work for the tribe as a whole. If you are doing all the lifting with a member of your tribe they aren’t a good fit for your tribe.
  • Does your tribe push you to do more? To dream bigger? If your tribe doesn’t push you. If they don’t encourage you to dream bigger. Then they aren’t the right tribe for you.

Sometimes the answers to these questions are not pleasant because if they aren’t yes it means you need to find a new tribe. Psychologist Kurt Lewin proposed that behavior is a function of the person and his or her environment. If your tribe is not lifting and pushing you. If your tribe is not driving you to achieve your goals then you need a new tribe. We must surround ourselves with the right people. The people that can help us get to where we want to go and push us to go further.

Have you built your tribe carefully?

By: Amy Matthews, CEO, AMI LC