Brokers will never reach their full potential unless they surround themselves with the right people – that’s the warning from one executive advisor who says a good network can significantly accelerate a person’s career.
“If you can get the right people around you, your success will actually start speeding up because they will understand your goals, your dreams, your struggles, the things that you’re finding tough and they will absolutely help you get there,” says Janine Garner, a Fortune 500 mentor and founder of the LBD Group.
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Garner – who recently penned bestseller
‘It’s Who You Know’ – says there are four key people every professional broker needs in their close network.
Promoter
“The promoter is someone who is going to stretch your thinking, they’re going to push your boundaries and they’re going to create opportunity for you,” Garner tells
Insurance Business.
“The promoter is that individual who will rave about your capability, your capacity and your potential because they really see more in you than you can ever see in yourself,” she continues. “We need them in our network because they push us out of our comfort zone and help us become more than we are right now.”
Pit-crew
The second person you need in your close network, according to Garner, is a pit-crew.
“Pit-crew are the people who are keeping you true and on-track, they’re keeping you present and in the moment, the pit-crew are people who are keeping you balanced,” Garner tells
Insurance Business.
“They really care about you and how you are, not necessarily your job title, how much money you’re earning or where you live – they are the people who keep emotions in check and are that sounding board for any emotional highs and lows. They’ll lift you out of those dips and they celebrate those highs with you.”
Teacher
The third person brokers need in their network is a teacher who, unsurprisingly, helps professionals boost their own knowledge.
“We’re living in a world where there’s a lot of generic going on, there’s a lot of people talking about themselves, there’s a lot of people defining themselves by their business card and their job title and generic is not sustainable,” says Garner.
“We need to understand what our own individual uniqueness and skill is and we need to become masters at that and this is what the teacher does, the teacher pushes your thinking, they’re very cerebral, they’re teaching you every day, they’re really helping you become a master at what you do.”
The butt-kicker
Finally, Garner says brokers have to include a butt-kicker in their close network.
“You need someone who is literally keeping you on track, who is holding you accountable, who is checking in on you and who is making sure that you do more every single day towards your dream,” she tells
Insurance Business.
“Your network is really critical to your professional success and it starts with those four key people – the promoter who is helping you become more, the pit-crew who is helping you care more, the teacher who is helping you know more and the butt-kicker who is helping you do more.”
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