As I prepare to facilitate a live Passion into Profit program, I have the great fortune to have many inspiring conversations with fellow coaches. During these conversations, I have noticed a common theme, something I call the “lone ranger mentality”.
If you are an entrepreneur who has a big vision for your business and is committed to living your best life, doing it alone is not an option. As an entrepreneur, the most strategic step you can take is to let go of the Lone Ranger mindset and start borrowing (or hiring) extra brainpower. When your business is on the line, collaboration isn’t optional – it’s mission critical!
Unfortunately many self-employed professionals suffer from the lone ranger mentality. Can you relate?
There is a good chance you have heard me talk about the concept of environments. When we think of our environment, most of us reflect on the physical space around us. Sixteen years ago, when I first started my coaching business, I learned that the word “environment” could mean so much more.
One of our most important environments in life is made of the relationships we surround ourselves with – our inner circle of people. This includes family, friends, colleagues, coworkers, staff, mentors, and anyone else you interact with on a regular basis. When you’re self-employed, having an environment of people in your life who are there to support you to be successful (I call this kind of support – strategic support) is a critical component of having a strong business foundation.
Strategic support can be formal (i.e. mastermind groups, teachers, coach, accountant) or informal (i.e. a smart and friendly colleague). Strategic Support comes from people with more experience or a different perspective or area of expertise than you have. Strategic support helps you shorten your learning curve, find resources, and create faster, better results.
What would your life be like if you had a sharp, committed like minded positive group standing behind you every step of the way? I wondered that myself. The idea of being surrounded and supported by people who believe in me was incredibly compelling, so in the beginning of my coaching career, I consciously set out to create strategic support in my life. I immediately hired my own coach, and soon thereafter I assembled a mastermind team. Creating my very own mastermind team was one of the best business decisions I ever made. Today every program that I design includes the invaluable component of masterminding.
Many entrepreneurs are coming to recognize that the Lone Ranger mentality is a hard, slow path. Instead of trying to accomplish things on their own, they are seeing the value of mastermind and leaning on the brilliance of other people.
Do you have 3-10 savvy people you could call for a quick brainstorm on any given day? This kind of support can make all the difference when you’re up against a wall. Instead of staring at a computer screen, you can pick up the phone, get the motivation you need and solve problems in a moment. A strong business leverages these resources.
It is important to be independent, self reliant, and that you can trust and know you can do whatever you set your mind to AND think of people who have experienced great success or have contributed to the world or your community, they didn’t do it alone. While you need to know that you can depend on yourself, if you continue to do everything yourself you will limit the level of contribution and difference you can make in the world. To really serve your family, your community, your customers, you have to have support!
Don’t be fooled, to get strategic support in your life and ask for help is a crucial skill to master. If one doesn’t learn how to get support, your weakness will prevent you from being as successful as you were meant to be. The quality of our environments and relationships has a lot to do with our level of happiness, satisfaction and success.
Is it time for you to let go of the lone ranger mentality and take your strategic support to the next level?
Here are some steps you can take immediately:
- Make a list of people you already know that could be part of your strategic team and simply call them to talk about this new level of relationship.
- Ask one of your coaching buddy’s to be your accountability partner.
- Join a program like the Passion into profit program or TripleMMastermind program.
- Start your own mastermind team (Check out our ebook, The Magic of a Mastermind. Written from the voice of my very own mastermind team, this book includes tips, strategies and insights on what makes a group truly successful.)
- Hire a coach.
Give yourself the gift of cultivating an environment that will unconditionally support you to step into your greatness.