"No man or woman is an island." – Denis Waitley

One of our favourite personal development companies, MindValley, recently declared 2018 the ‘year of the tribe’.  Facebook has just announced that they are changing the newsfeed to focus less on brands and much more on connections with friends and family.  Connection it seems is a bit of a focus this year.

There is undoubtedly a lot of rhetoric about increasing levels of disconnection in society due to social media.  Chamath Palihapitiya, a former Facebook VP, recently expressed that he feels “tremendous guilt” over his work on “tools that are ripping apart the social fabric of how society works”.  Maybe this newfound focus on connection and tribe is a direct response to what Palihapitiya is talking about.

The Maverick Effect

Whether that is true or not, as Mavericks, we by definition tend to stand apart from the crowd.  Being a Maverick could easily mean feeling isolated, disconnected and even shunned. 

It can also mean that you don't feel the need to bend to other people's opinion or approval though and that you are freer to be the best version of yourself without the need to conform.

Many Mavericks find themselves to be solo operators regardless of the environment they operate in.  They might be sole-traders or freelancers running their own businesses.  They might be artists or creatives.  Even if they operate in large organisations, being a Maverick tends to set them apart. 

If you are reading this, you may well identify with the notion of ‘not quite fitting in’.  That in itself can be a source of doubt.

The Effect Of Like Minded People

Whatever you are up to in the world, the truth is that you can’t do it all by yourself. You can’t be successful without good people around you.  I am sure you know what it feels like to meet a like-minded person who just ‘gets' you…feels good, doesn't it!

Renowned intuitive and spiritual teacher Sonia Choquette talks about the idea of having people in your life who act as your ‘believing eyes’.  These are people who have faith in you and your vision, even when you don’t.  They see what you cannot, particularly superpowers that you have overlooked, and call them forth.

Make 2018 Your ‘Year Of The Tribe’

We are already mid-way through January, and the chances are that you might have already hit the first hurdles on any goals or resolutions that you have set.

Well, one of the ways that you can do to help your success to build your tribe of supporters - get good people around you and to let go of some of the energy drainers!  Having a tribe of support can help in many ways:

• Belief and encouragement – just like ‘believing eyes', your tribe can offer encouragement when you are not feeling it, kick ass when you need it and shore you up when you are full of doubt
• Accountability – your tribe can offer you different levels of accountability to keep going when the journey to your goals seems tough
• Problem-solving – you are always going to hit blocks and barriers, and your tribe can help you work through those and find solutions
• Letting off steam – sometimes you just need to vent frustration and let go of any emotional charge as a result of roadblocks, but not everyone has someone they can talk to about this stuff.  That’s where the tribe come in.

Who Are Your Dream Team?

The 1992 USA Olympic Basketball team were nicknamed the "Dream Team" because it included pretty much every NBA superstar at the time, including Michael Jordan.  The chances are that a more talented team couldn’t have been put together.

Well, that is how you want to think of your tribe of supporters…you want them to be your ‘dream team’ (or your personal ‘advisory board' if that is more your lingo).  Having a random bunch of people who like you is a lovely thing to have, but you want to be more conscious in your choice of who you have on your team.

Just as the Dream Team had the right people playing in the right positions, there are probably several positions that you will want to be really effective.  These might include:

• Coach – helps you to problem solve, build skills and grow personally and professionally through focused questioning, feedback and use of personal development tools.
• Cheerleader – your ‘believing eyes’, recognises your abilities and achievements and gives energy, motivation and support for your goals
• Partner – someone to collaborate with, formally or informally, to act as a sounding board for creative ideas and potentially turn joint ideas into reality
• Mentor – someone more experience or specialist knowledge who guides you utilising their wisdom and know-how
• Networker – someone who opens doors, creates connections and helps you build your network (you might want several of these!)
• Confidante – the person that provides you with emotional support
• Observer – we all have blind spots and can benefit from objectivity, so having someone who gives you constructive feedback can help your growth

These, of course, are just suggestions and you might have other roles that would benefit you.  However, even having some of these people in your tribe and massively increase your chances of hitting your goals and becoming your best self.

Next Steps

It’s time to start assembling your dream team!  You might already have several of these people in place, but if you don’t here’s how to get started:

1. Commit to making the assembly or your dream team a priority.
2. For each position, think about who in your life already performs that role for you or could perform that function.  Write down a list of people for each role.
3. Approach your preferred people for each role and ask them if they would be willing to help and support you.  Explain what the role and commitment is and what kind of help you would like.  Discuss any benefits for them (and remember that people do want to help!) and be willing to act as a member of their dream team.
4. Commit to having the right people in the right position.  As I said above, it can be great to have people who make you feel great, but you won't grow and succeed by having nice people around you.  In positions like the coach, observer and mentor, you want people who are willing to be objective and constructive with you.
5. Enjoy your new levels of success from having the right people in the right place to help you rocket forward!

YOUR TURN: What are you going to do to put your dream team together?