Surround yourself with the right people.

Have you ever watched Formula 1 racing? It’s my 11yo son’s current obsession and one of the many facts I’ve learned from him recently is that an average pit stop these days takes less than 3 seconds. 3 seconds!! The fastest recorded was just 1.82 seconds 🤯

Obviously, this is significantly faster than when I was kid when pit stops involved refuelling but in those couple of seconds a team can change the tyres, adjust the car’s front and rear wing as well as clean up the air ducts of the chassis and the brakes if they have any debris. It’s coordinated down to the last millisecond and the pit crew members train just like elite sports people.

In short, the big shot F1 drivers rely on every member of their pit team to be there and ready exactly when they need them so they can focus 100% on their part in winning the race.

How does all this apply to us in business?

Max Verstappen, the current leading F1 driver, holds that coveted position thanks in no small part to the incredible support crew he encounters whenever he enters the pit lane. They’ve got his back, they know what they’re doing and they know exactly how to help him succeed.

As business owners, we need the same kind of support around us if we are serious about succeeding. We might not need a team of 20 to devote their existence to that success but the more solid our support network, the more solid our results tend to be.

A good support network can provide us with a heap of great benefits including:

✅ Emotional support

✅ Practical assistance

✅ Networking opportunities

✅ Accountability and motivation

✅ A sense of belonging and community

When support isn’t supportive..

When it comes to business we can grow our network in many different ways, but this tip is specifically about surrounding yourself with the RIGHT people, the right kind of support.

Wrong people = wrong kind of support

So often we don’t pay much attention to the kinds of people we’re surrounding ourselves with and it can really work against us. We usually look to our friends and family, online forums or social media groups and sometimes even our staff members if we have them. These are people and places that we trust enough to share, but they can have huge limitations. The biggest issues I see with these are:

⛔️ They love you too much

This is relevant to our loved ones who are often the first that we share stuff with. The problem with this is that people who love us usually want to keep us safe and so, instead of being helpful, they can come across as discouraging or untrusting of our abilities – something you probably already have enough trouble with.

⛔️ They don’t “get” you

Sometimes we enlist the help of people we see as experts or specialists and they might give excellent advice or support except it’s more suited to a neurotypical brain like their own and they don’t have an understanding of how things might differ for other people.

and/or..

⛔️ They don’t have all the information

We’re so used to masking and finding ways to cover up the parts of us that seem inadequate that a lot of the time we won’t give the full picture when it comes to how our brain works and the challenges it creates for us in business. We don’t want to admit that it’s not as easy as it could be which invites ubiquitous (and irrelevant!) advice like “use a planner” and can end up feeling like a huge waste of time.

✅ The “right” people

The right people are the ones who get you, who get what you’re trying to achieve with your business, who see and understand your struggle and who never judge. They know that some days you can move mountains but other days you can’t move off the couch but they still want to see you and your business grow into what you know is possible.

These are they people you want in your pit lane. They may not train like elite athletes or even run their own business but they do want to play a role in your success.

Here are 9 ways to surround yourself with the right people:

Get a coach who understands ADHD
Join a program like execute
Join a mastermind (or start your own!)
Join a free facebook group for ADHD or neurodivergent folk
Find a great therapist
Find a business bff or accountability buddy
Network at local business events
Get a mentor who’s been where you want to go
Be deliberate about who you share your business life with, don’t be afraid to stop spending time with people or in spaces where you don’t feel understood or safe.

TRY IT OUT:

If you’re not already a member, join the Next Level ADHD Entrepreneurs Facebook group and discover a judgement free zone filled with 250 other small business owners also dealing with the challenges that ADHD brings! Maybe you’ll even find a new business bestie or an accountability buddy.

Who’s in your pit crew now? Are there people who don’t belong there, or perhaps some space for new faces?

I’ll see you back here next week,