Who is in Your Top 5?

The late Jim Rohn, entrepreneur and motivational speaker, once said, “You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”

He was talking about your circles of influence. In many cases, the difference between success and failure can come down to who you know. People often say that in regards to the ability to network your way to success by leveraging their connections.

But in truth, it is really referring to how you become a product of who you are around. Because the people you know and hang with will influence your thinking – whether intentionally or not. The more time we spend around people who work hard, set goals and push forward, the more likely we are to pick up their positive traits.

The relationships you build affect you and your business – what level of success you have, how you think about your business, and where you point your direction.

When it comes to your business relationships, are you surrounding yourself with right mix of people?

Sometimes it is hard to make sure you have the support network you need. Maybe your entire family are unionized employees or government workers; they don’t think in an entrepreneurial way. Maybe your friends don’t have businesses and you are the only one that does.

That is where a CEO peer group comes in. It affords members the opportunity to bounce ideas off 8 to 12 other business leaders – people who, like you, are building businesses and employing other people. Although they all have the shared experience of running companies, they likely serve entirely different types of customers in varying industries.

When a group of executives from diverse backgrounds and with a cross-section of skills puts its collective head together to tackle a mission-critical business problem, the results are invaluable. The frank discussions offer more depth and breadth than any one member could achieve in his or her own office.

And for entrepreneurs who take advantage of a CEO peer group, the members become the circle of influence who help them grow, evolve and see greater levels of business success.