Over the years, I have described building a business and life in general that it is like running a marathon and not a sprint. Living in Colorado, I have watched the geese migrations. The interesting thing about geese is that you rarely see them flying by themselves. They fly in a group in a V formation. Because of these two facts, the flock of geese is able to fly a greater distance than a single goose could.

So how can we apply this principle in our lives and businesses? Recently, I had the privilege of meeting and hearing Kevin Eastman speak. Kevin is the assistant coach of the Boston Celtics and he shared some of the nuggets of how the Celtics created an atmosphere for winning. Kevin said, “If you want to go fast, go alone; but if you want to go far, go with others.” Wow, when I heard Kevin make this statement, chills ran down my back!

Many times, we all feel the urgency to accomplish tangible results fast. We believe that if we run by ourselves and just put in more effort, that we will accomplish our goals. The challenge is that, at times, we run out of gas before we reach our destination.

For most of us, we have not been taught the principle of “going with others.” ,So, what are some of the steps in creating your own personal “V” formation?

First, determine your strengths. You can do this simply by asking yourself, “What do you enjoy doing?  What comes easily to you?”  My belief is that I want to become excellent at what I’m good at and delegate the rest.

Second, determine your weaknesses. Your weaknesses are normally things that you do not enjoy doing and when you force yourself to do it, the result is only average. In completing this step, you may have the feeling like there is something wrong with you, not being able to do everything yourself. The truth is no one is able to do everything well, and if we don’t outsource our weaknesses we are limiting our results.

Third, identify your success support team. Some possibilities would be an assistant (either virtual or in-house), an accountant (bookkeeper), a coach or a mastermind group. By no means is this list complete. Match your weakness to someone that could do that task faster, cheaper and more effectively. The key here is not to engage with someone just like you, but rather someone who complements you. They are good at and enjoy the tasks that you don’t.

The common myth is, I will create my success support team when my business is big enough. The truth is if you wait until you’re big enough, the odds are you never will.  This is not an overnight process.  Prioritize the areas where you need help and start with that first team member.

Create your own personal V formation and “Go go the distance, with others”

Posted in Business Building