They say you’re the product of the five people you’re most closely associated with. For entrepreneurs, this is extremely relevant. Being surrounded by people that are high-achieving, innovative, and always going the extra mile, both personally and professionally, can serve as a catalyst for inspiration and even accountability.
While like-minded companies can sometimes be viewed as competition, we’re edging towards a generation where collaboration is becoming a highly valued asset. It is not uncommon for startup entrepreneurs to engage with coaches that have achieved the level of success that they aspire to have one day. It is also not a bad idea to employ people that can challenge perspectives and bring a new vantage point to the business.
More businesses are realizing the advantages of having a dynamic and challenging culture and the effect it can have on productivity and success.
For Angelina Lawton, diving into the deep end became a common pattern in her professional life. Without immersing herself in stressful circumstances, often being the minority (female) in the room — she would have never built the successful sports tech business she has today. Digideck by Sportsdigita is a SaaS-based presentation solution that enables companies to drive sales with a greater success rate in less time.
Operate your inner circle like a business
Managing the strengths, talents, and dynamics within your inner circle is important not only as a leader but is critical for your personal success.
The key is to surround yourself with all types of experts in areas that might be a weakness to others. The tech industry, for example, is not comprised of all engineers or all creatives. There is a delicate balance of different skills and personalities that creates a dynamic and efficient environment.
Your circle should include people who are experts at what they do, from which you can learn and benefit. “I always say to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you,” Lawton shared recently. Don’t let the differences make you uncomfortable. For Angelina, the answer was always in the challenging or the unknown. When reflecting upon her time in the financial industry, Angelina says “My time in the financial industry was great training for me because men were very intense, and it gave me the confidence to dive into the next thing, sports.” Most importantly, it allowed her to develop the confidence to make her ideas known. This shows up in her team today, which includes software engineers and developers, of which she has no formal background on. In order to make her vision come alive, she had to solicit the help of experts to help quickly fill in the gaps.
Use demanding environments to stimulate growth
Keeping a sense of urgency is key when performing at elite levels. Surrounding yourself with experts equates to professionals who are always pushing themselves to improve. Experts are masterful at their craft because they can never afford to be complacent.
The environment of the sports industry is not only multifaceted—but everything from the teams to the quality of the fan experience must be meticulously monitored and perfected. There is always room for improvement in every part of the equation. Therefore, it presents great opportunities for entrepreneurial-minded individuals like Angelina, to uncover the gaps in the system. To great avail, Sportsdigita met this unknown need for savvier presentations, and as result they’ve pretty much dominated the sports industry, having worked with over 400 teams around the world.
It is often the intense culture of optimization that can lead to great opportunities for innovation.
Angelina advises to “address the resistance points early on.” For example, she reflects that if she had partnered with a tech expert earlier on in the process, Sportsdigita would have taken off much faster. You need to trust the experts to know what they’re doing so you can focus on your own strengths instead of trying to make up for your lack of. “ I think moving forward, sales leaders who are not equipped in tech will not survive.” Angelina comments. Sportsdigita aims to close the gap between sales teams and tech receptive audiences.
Conclusion
Building an aggressively competitive business requires a degree of intentionality. Creating an atmosphere where you’re constantly challenged, learning things you can’t easily learn on your own, and growing, as a result, will contribute greatly to the success of your company.
