Who has a seat at your table?

Imagine you have a big decision to make or you are going for your dream job.  Something that will affect every area of your life. 

Now imagine you are sitting at a table with some empty seats.  You have an opportunity to invite your most trusted inner circle to your table.  The people who will help guide you to make the decision that is right for you. 

Who would you invite to your table?

As leaders its valuable to have different perspectives and voices around you.  People who you listen to and value their thoughts.  Not people who will just agree with you, people who will challenge you.  Challenge you to be and do better, look at things through different lenses, teach and mentor you, put you forward for opportunities and be on the sidelines celebrating your wins with you.

Before you fill the seats at your table, consider who you choose and what perspective they are coming from.  To get a well rounded and diverse view consider these roles.

Challenger: the person who offers a competing view and gets you to look at things from perspectives you never considered.  These people are there to literally challenge your way of thinking, your behaviours and your ideas.  They are there to make you better.  Being challenged gives you the skills to be able to back up your way of thinking and make a solid argument for why your way works.  Challengers help you to take what you’ve got and make it better.

Cheerleader: always there to cheer you on rain, hail or shine.  They are the person in the grandstand of your arena shaking the pom poms.  Always supportive and positive, these people are worth their weight in gold if your are feeling low on confidence, suffering from self doubt, imposter syndrome or feeling way out of your depth.  They are also great for celebrating your wins.

Mentor & Coach: need help or advice from someone who has done it all before or someone who is there to listen and ask questions to help you find the right actions.  Find yourself both a mentor and a coach.  If you want to know the difference between a mentor and a coach and the benefits you can get from each one, check out last weeks Evolved Leader here.

Sponsor: someone who rates you and your capability highly and is willing to put you forward for opportunities and promotions.  If they are in a room full of leaders, they are dropping your name.  Incredibly valuable, you don’t know what opportunities could come your way thanks to your sponsor.  Everyone needs someone who champions them.  That champion is your sponsor.

Two steps ahead: a person who has tread the path you are on and can pass on invaluable knowledge.  From their perspective they can see out across the landscape and pre-empt what is coming next.  They have the perspective to know what has made them successful every step of the way and are normally happy to give those behind them a leg up.  Any challenges or ideas you have, they are a great sounding board.

Take this opportunity to visualise your table.  Do you have a person who can fill each of these roles for you, or would you have some empty seats?

To really set yourself up for success, take the time to plan your table and actively build the relationships with people that not only support you but can challenge you and give you honest, constructive feedback.