Weekly Live Show Recap - Ep. 23 - The Importance of Our Inner Circle - Ft. Thomas Earp

Introduction:

Leadership isn’t always just about the people we lead, but also the people we hang around with. It is the people that we surround ourselves with that will have an influence and impact upon us, thus shaping the people we are, we become, and the opportunities that we are presented with. 

In this discussion, we talk about the importance of good and healthy connections with the people we surround ourselves with, how we pick them, how we choose them, and how we show up in the communities that we either join or form.   

 
In case you missed the podcast, Wednesday Live Show, and Thursday Night Clubhouse discussions - please check out the following links: 

Wednesday Evening Live Show 

Thursday Night Clubhouse Discussion

You can also sign up to our Club on Clubhouse to see all further discussions and go back to previous replays.

Who is Thomas Earp?

• Tom focuses on Leadership and Team dynamics. 
• He differentiates between team building, leadership development, and what he does.
• Tom focuses on the communication aspect of Leadership and Teams
• Tom's focus helps people understand themselves better so they can communicate with others who they can be better understood as well as understand others. 
• When leaders become more comfortable with understanding themselves and understanding others they become better leaders.
• Tom started studying in the field of Engineering believing that his math abilities combined with his love for “building, creating & designing” was the path he wanted to go down. 
• When Tom realized he didn’t want to be an engineer he looked internally to see what it is he loved most, instead of looking to the outside, and discovered a love for speech, psychology, human behavior, and communication which is the vehicle for effective leadership. 
• He spent time coaching teams in debate and saw success by being able to understand the people he was coaching.
• He ended up discovering the field of personal and professional coaching and has been there ever since.
• Most people looking to transition out of a job are mainly wanting to transition because they are unhappy with the environment and the team or community they are a part of and not because they don’t like the job itself.   

Watch the recap below:

The Importance of Your Inner-Circle: 

• Being a good mentor or influencer is not just about instilling in others what you want to convey to them, but rather by eliciting from within them that which is already there. 
• There needs to be a synergy between the team and the leader. It makes the world of a difference.

Watch the recap below:

Surrounding Yourself With The Right People: 

• Understand the difference between a boss and a leader.  
• A boss dictates to others what to do. 
• A leader facilitates and makes space for others to succeed. 
• A leader is not above anybody else, they are equal to them and are able to take feedback. 
• An inner circle is there to share feedback and a vision and they benefit each other. 
• It’s not a single direction contribution. 
• It’s a contribution that goes in all directions between all persons. 
• Inner circles help each other to grow and become better.
• A leader is held accountable to those that he is leading. By being held accountable to those he leads he becomes a better leader and they become better performers.  

Watch the recap below: 

The Challenge of Good Leadership: 

• EGO is where the leader's own self interests get in the way of being an effective leader.
• Enlightened leaders are the ones that have gotten over themselves. They realize that those they serve are more important. 
• A good leader is aware of themselves and their talents and abilities and what they’re really good at, but they are also comfortable with not knowing everything.
• A good leader empowers those that they lead by giving them everything they need to perform. 
• People have gotten to the point where they are looking for a quick fix and it has become easier to tell people what to do instead of guiding them and listening. The truth is there is a much bigger negative cost in the long run.

Watch the recap below:

Influence, Mentors, & Advisors:

“Enlightened leadership provides a safe space for others to share and to give and receive support.” - Mindy Green 

• As solopreneurs, we can often feel lonely so it’s important to create an inner circle of people we can remain in close contact with.
• Having time for sharing with others and interacting with others is important not just to our business but also to our social, and emotional well-being. 
• Find people that share areas of your life that are important (faith, family, finances, fitness, etc) and speak to them, share with them, and learn from them.

Watch the recap below:

Family & Friends as Influencers: 

• It’s important to understand where you are getting your information from. 
• Some of your best advice can come from your close relationships and relatives or bosses. 
• But also don’t feel the need to get advice from your friends and family.
• It is important to fine-tune specific individuals for the specific areas you need advice in. 
• Having a dog in the fight is important but can be detrimental. 
• It’s important as mentions and advisers (and those we seek advice from) to remember that we as mentors can not coach based on what we want the outcome to be. And when looking for a mentor we should look for those who understand that a rising tide raises all ships. 

Watch the recap below:

Finding vs Creating A Community:

• You can both find a community to join but there is also a benefit to creating a community. 
• You can often create a community of individuals from greater communities that you have become a part of. 
• Customize your circle and community based on your needs.

Watch the recap below: 

The Bottom Line: 

The 3 main takeaway points were: 

• We choose the people that we get to hang around with and how we let them influence us
• As a leader within any form of group, it is very important to be self-aware on how we show up and what value we add to our group
• A community can be one that we join, create, or one that we add a new element to - either way, it’s all about finding our place within the community that we are a part of.    

Contributors to this article include:

Thomas Earp - Tom Earp is a coach, speaker, and educator with 30+ years in personal and professional development. He is the founder and managing director of neXgen Ability providing consulting, training, and coaching specializing in LeaderSHIFT Dynamics transforming leaders, teams, and careers for the next generation of work. Tom believes that the quality of life, happiness, and work is dependent on the quality of our relationships and that the quality of our relationships is dependent on the quality of our communication—with ourselves and with others. At the core of LeaderSHIFT Dynamics is ESP—Emotional, Social, and Personal Intelligence. Tom helps leaders and teams “tune in, ”tap in” and “turn on” their ESP to become Enlightened Leaders and Empowered Teams to help make SHIFT happen culturally for their organizations. 

You can learn more about Tom and connect with him by visiting his LinkedIn and Website.   

Boruch DuBrow - Boruch is an Exceptional Development Coach with over 13 years of experience as an educator. Boruch has helped hundreds of people feeling lost in life to discover their path and reach their potential. Today, Boruch educates and empowers individuals and organizations to discover their path, define their purpose, and create an “Exceptional” future for themselves, their families, and their organizations.

To learn more about Boruch DuBrow feel free to follow him on LinkedIn, or Instagram, You can also reach Boruch by emailing him at [email protected]

Yermi Kurkus - Yermi has spent most of his career helping people at their lowest find meaning and purpose through proven methods that are built from psychology, philosophy, and mystical teachings. Yermi's approach is pragmatic and down to earth, thus coining the term Practical Mindfulness. 

Today, Yermi partners up with business owners, professionals, and individuals that want to become more "irresistible" in their personal and professional lives, as well as helping founders build "irresistible" systems in their businesses.

To learn more about Yermi Kurkus feel free to follow him on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube. You can also reach Yermi by emailing him at [email protected]