Expand Your Circle

Dear Leader,

I trust this meets you in pursuit of wisdom.

To me, to lead is to serve.

And a lot of leading requires influence and influence requires you to expand your current circle.

It is always easier to stay within environments where we are comfortable and secure. Most people avoid change and remain where it is safe. But you cannot grow and avoid change at the same time. If you want to expand your influence, you have to be willing to expand your current circle.

The first thing you should know is that expanding your circle is uncomfortable, that’s why many don’t intentionally do it. But know for sure, that growth only happens when you get out of your comfort zone. Expanding your circle can do a lot for you this year.

It can help you improve because it will expose you to new ideas, new perspectives, new methods of working, new skills and by doing so you are becoming more innovative as a leader.

For example, most times attending a training is not 100% because you are going to learn something totally new, but the training will probably improve your understanding of what you already know and it will help you also get into contact with more people and thereby giving you potential access to their extended network. Remember what they say about networks? Apart from knowledge, your network is your most valuable asset.

What strategies can you use to expand your network this year?

  1. I believe charity begins at home, so we should all start where we are. Everybody you know knows someone you don’t know. Every friend you have has a friend that you are not connected to. Begin with them and expand the pool. You don’t have to meet everyone, but strive to expand your reach and your circle from where you are. You can set up informal hangouts, attend lunch or dinner, host your own coffee chats or events that add value to the next generation and invite people to be a part of giving back. Just invite your friends to invite at least one of their surest friends perhaps in the same profession as you.
  2. Attend training this year, preferably physical ones. When you do so, connect with people. Go early to meet people before the start of the training and stay a bit late to meet the facilitators after the training.
  3. Go beyond your industry and expertise. It is easy to hang around with HR Professionals if you are in HR. Sales people like to mingle with sales people because they share a lot of similarities at work. They talk about similar challenges and banter around what has worked for them. Even at events and WhatsAPP, we make friends easily with people with the same expertise as ours. This year, go above and beyond. Don’t limit yourself to connecting with people within your profession only. Take the pain to go outside your industry and it can start from your organisation. For example, if you work in HR, make friends with people who work in Sales or Operations, make friends with people from another department. Go outside your industry. Attend tech events even if you are not in tech.
  4. Lastly, go beyond your current routine. Similar to the above though but quite different. I am a routine person and one of my greatest challenges I discovered about meeting people is my routines. In the last 4-5 years of my life, I wore the same kind of clothes. I go to the same place – same gas station, same grocery store, same market, same route, I use the same bank, etc. It is just easy for me because I like to simplify my life but I plan to shake things up a bit this year and try something new. It is all about getting outside of our comfort zone. After some time, try something new again that will need you to ask someone a question and make new contact.

It’s an intentional year, so we must be intentional.

I hope this letter added value to you?

Remember to check out the new episode of The Great Owete Podcast here

Podcast Episode – Tweak As You Go

Until next time.

I’m rooting for you,
Great Owete

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