Sometimes we don’t realize that we allow certain people access and influence in areas of our lives that they aren’t actually qualified for. As we escalate our success and expand the depth of our personal and professional potentiality, it becomes vital to examine the people we allow into our inner-circle of influence.
Look at the corporate model: Corporations have a board that consists of individuals who specialize in different fields and lend their expertise accordingly. The purpose of this board system is to ensure that a business can maximize its potentiality in each field of its endeavors.
I understand that I am not a corporation, but I have built and successfully run several of them. I find this model of compartmentalized expertise to be highly efficient and effective. When we need marketing, we have a team for that. When we need accounting, we have a team for that. When we need graphic design, we have a team for that… you get the point. I wouldn’t ask the accountant for advice on graphic design. This “board” system, when run correctly, has helped many businesses and organizations maximize their potential.
In my personal life I am blessed to have many friends. This being true, I still tend to keep a “board” of friends that I refer to for their expertise for different parts of my life. I refer to my successful friends when I want to know about business, my healthy friends when I’m curious about health, etc…
I find that when I didn’t have this system, like most people, I would tend to take ALL of my advice from a certain friend, even though they weren’t qualified to have such influence. Taking relationship advice from someone who isn’t in one, or money advice from someone who has none, or health advice from someone who is overweight, doesn’t make for good results.
Friendship is a beautiful blessing. You may love your friends and they may love you, but that doesn’t mean they should have unexamined influence in all areas of your life. Pay attention to who you have on your life’s “board” and make the adjustments necessary to ensure both your friendships and your goals remain healthy and intact.
© Steve Maraboli
From the book, “Unapologetically You“