Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

The Right Approach: Leadership 101—The Law of the Inner Circle

Introduction
Good leadership always makes a difference; unfortunately, so does bad leadership. This leadership truth continues as we will be talking about the 11th of the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership.

The Law of the Inner Circle
If you were to look at the leaders who have inspired you over the course of your career, I would argue that you will find it difficult to name a single one that did not have a great supporting cast. I believe that nobody does anything great alone; great leaders surround themselves with great people. This truth was on display in the Sonny Barger chapter of my last book Notorious (in a shameless plug, it’s available on Amazon). One of the business lessons Sonny taught us is, “Great leaders know they don’t have all the answers.” In fact, my August 2020 column, “Leadership Lessons I Learned from Sonny Barger,” included this lesson.

John Maxwell teaches, “A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him or her,” so take a good look around and see who you surround yourself with. This is your team, and the Law of the Inner Circle is all about the team. Most people create an inner circle of people; to quote the great Jack Byrnes, who calls it the “circle of trust.” However, during this process people are rarely strategic in doing so. Most people are naturally social, and we tend to surround ourselves with either people we like or people who we are comfortable with. Few people give enough thought to how those closest to them impact their effectiveness or leadership potential.

You Are Your Team
I have been fortunate to have gained some degree of success in my career, and one of my most memorable accomplishments was to lead my company to become the first ISO-certified printed circuit shop in the state of Illinois. What makes this particularly memorable to me is that not only was our initial certification audit perfect, but we maintained a perfect record through every surveillance and recertification audit until I moved on. During our first ISO rally after certification, I told the workforce that people will be giving me the credit, but I wanted them to know that it was a team effort; each one of them was a major contributor in our success as a team.

Hire People Smarter Than You
One of the most common obstacles I run across when doing leadership training is managers who are threatened by people smarter than they are. They don’t do a good job training these folks and certainly don’t want to share their experience for fear the employee will take their job. What a misguided thought process this is. Having been in leadership positions my entire career, I would always hire several people who did want my job; this was intentional and a hiring filter for me. My philosophy has always been that a person that aspires to have my position will do everything in their power to make the team, and me, successful so that I can move up and they can backfill my position. Of course, there are those who may want to take a superior’s job by backstabbing, but these are easy to identify during the interview process. 

Be Intentional in Relationship Building
To practice the Law of the Inner Circle, you must be intentional in your relationship building. You must give thought to the accomplishment of your mission and the success of the people who follow you. Only if you reach your potential as a leader do your people have a chance to reach their potential.

How do you find the right people for your inner circle? By asking and following these five questions:

1. Do they display exemplary character in everything they do?
Deception eats away at a leadership team like cancer. Dishonesty on the part of one member of an inner circle can bring shame and disaster to all. Entire organizations have toppled from the misbehavior of one bad apple.
2. Do they bring complementary talents to the table?
Imbalance within an inner circle can attune a leader’s ear to only one side of an argument. When putting together an inner circle, prioritize diversity of personality and perspective. By doing so, you widen the range of your vision and the breadth of your influence.
3. Do they hold a strategic position and have influence within the organization?
Members of the inner circle must have the platform and influence to implement a leader’s decisions. If they cannot be relied upon to execute a chosen strategy, then they shouldn’t be entrusted with a spot on the leadership team. In addition, inviting uninfluential advisors into the inner circle disrupts the political balance of an organization. High performers suffer a motivational blow when they see a less deserving colleague granted special access to top leadership.
4. Do they add value to the organization and to the leader?
When considering someone for the inner circle, you should be able to clearly articulate the value they will bring. Ask yourself the following questions: What will they infuse into the discussion? Where do they have expertise? What unique skills can they be counted on to bring to the table?
5. Do they positively impact other members of the inner circle?
If you’ve ever inhabited a house with a feuding husband and wife, then you can understand the need for leaders in close proximity to get along. Infighting saps energy and focus from a senior leader, forcing him or her to mediate conflicts with time that could be better spent elsewhere. Differences of opinion signal healthy debate, but personal animosities destroy a leadership team. Make sure members of your inner circle have the emotional intelligence to keep arguments from becoming too personal.
If you’ve ever inhabited a house with a feuding husband and wife, then you can understand the need for leaders in close proximity to get along. Infighting saps energy and focus from a senior leader, forcing him or her to mediate conflicts with time that could be better spent elsewhere. Differences of opinion signal healthy debate, but personal animosities destroy a leadership team. Make sure members of your inner circle have the emotional intelligence to keep arguments from becoming too personal.
Developing relationships with the real leaders in an organization and honing your ability to form meaningful connections with others will become vital tools in your leadership toolbox. Develop and use these tools early in your relationships with others and you will quickly see the benefits.

Steve Williams is president of The Right Approach Consulting. He is also an independent certified coach, trainer, and speaker with the John Maxwell team. This column originally appeared in the September 2021 issue of PCB007 Magazine.