Having the right people around you takes courage, clarity and commitment

On a personal level, we know how important it is to surround ourselves with positive and successful people, and the powerful impact that can have on our success and well-being. This is also true in business. Creating an environment in which the vision of the business comes to life, and the people in it and around it thrive, only happens when there is clarity of purpose, alignment of goals and a team of people who share that vision and commitment.

It takes hard work and persistence to build successful teams, and the smart leaders are the ones who understand that business success boils down to one thing — people. In creating this environment for success there are a myriad of things to consider, not least who you hire, how you hire, and being clear and steadfast on your “non-negotiables”. The job doesn’t stop there. You need to constantly curate this environment, meaning you will have to make hard decisions, hold high standards, and maybe even let people go that just don’t fit.

Perhaps surprisingly, many businesses fail to get this right — paying lip service to the idea of creating the right environment and culture for people to thrive, and failing to have the courage to make the hard decisions needed. It’s very easy to shake our heads at the folly of “big bosses in big companies”. How can they not understand the vital importance of having the right people on the team? But before we feel too smug, let’s turn the focus to small business owners and even those working solo. For those of you without staff on the payroll, you still have a team.

For those of you who have a virtual business, you are creating an environment for success or failure just the same. For those of you who think you are “too small to worry about this stuff’, think again. In a smaller business, if anything it is even more imperative that you surround yourself with the right people. The cost of a disruptive or lazy staff member, or even one who just doesn’t get your culture, can do immeasurable damage to your reputation, productivity and overall success.

Even if you don’t have employees, you most definitely have a team around you.

Think about suppliers, friends, family, mentors, advisers, contractors, customers…These people are an incredibly important network that you rely on for a whole range of things. They are your team. These are the people you are surrounding yourself with. They can hugely impact whether you succeed or fail. Building a successful team starts with you being deliberate and proactive in the people you choose to have around you. Take the time to do your research. Find people that fit your culture and care about you succeeding, whether they are a business coach, client or supplier.

Imagine the power of surrounding yourself with those that believe in your vision and want to be a part of that success.

The time these people will invest in thinking about you, talking about you and connecting you with others, will be incredibly valuable and potentially one of your most potent marketing tools. So even if you think you don’t have staff or a team — you actually do. If you think you are “too small to worry about this stuff”, think again. If you lead a team of people for a big organisation, imagine the power of getting this right [or wrong].

Treat the challenge of building a great team around you as the most important thing you can do.

Have the courage to wait until you find the right people. Have absolute clarity about your vision and your non-negotiables. Have the commitment it takes to constantly assess and curate those around you and whether they are the right team for you.