Do Business Better

24You Are Not an Island

You're a rugged individualist. You've made it this far on your own. You've done pretty damn well, if you do say so yourself. You've been making your own decisions since age 16. You've been financially independent since you were 18. Everything you have, you earned. You're self‐made.

Does any of this describe you? I'll bet it does. People who start and run their own businesses are independent individuals. That's why they (and you) push themselves (as you push yourself) to do business better. It's who you are.

You're proud of what you've accomplished. With good reason. Please realize, independent as you may be, you're not an island. It's neither healthy, nor productive, to be an island.

We all require support.

You Need Backup!

You make a lot of decisions when you command your own ship. Sometimes you need a second opinion. You need people you can turn to in times of uncertainty. At times, you need people who'll hold your feet to the fire.

The previous chapters outfitted you with an arsenal of weapons. The final piece of the puzzle is putting adequate support in place.

What Is Support?

Support is the battalion of people you surround yourself with in life and business. Who are your people? What do they provide you?

You need an inner circle who'll give you:

• Truth and critical feedback
• Accountability
• Backing when your back's against the wall

Honesty versus Enabling

Truth and critical feedback are two of the main ingredients of support. Sure, you can find ...