Friends will encourage, critique, and help you assess areas of your life that you need to work on. Our friends will be more forward in pointing out areas that we need personal development in. Many times people that we are leading would not criticize or critique us if we aren’t acting appropriately. Friends oftentimes will critique us. This will help us become more self-aware and help us develop our approach to those we are leading.  

Leaders and Loneliness  

When you are in a position of leadership, friendships are very important. Many people associate leadership positions with loneliness. It doesn’t have to be that way. Make time in your life to develop close friendships with people around you. Don’t use busyness as an excuse to not set aside time for friendships. Grab a coffee with a friend, or meet with someone for lunch just because you can! 

Friends Encourage 

When you are having a hard day, do you have someone you can reach out to? I hope so! Friends will encourage us when we are struggling or facing hardship. When you reach out to a friend that is removed from the situation, they can provide you with valuable insight and wisdom about situations that you are in. When you achieve success, do you have someone you can celebrate with? When you have good friends, you have people that can join you in celebrating achievements and successes. Friends can help you look back at everything you have achieved. Healthy friendships are encouraging, joyful, and challenging.  

Sayings and Life Lessons  

"Show me your friends and I will show you who you are" 

Our friendships shape the person we become. A popular saying that I remember hearing growing up was, "Show me your friends and I will show you who you are" The people we surround ourselves with will shape who we become as people and leaders. This saying has stuck with me throughout my life. When I was considering building a friendship with someone, I would observe the person's conduct and the way they would treat others. I would then ask myself the question, "Would I want to become like this person?"  

"You are most like the 5 people you spend the most time with"  

It is important that we surround ourselves with people that we want to become like. We should be inspired and encouraged by our friends to develop new skill sets. We should feel challenged to try new things by our friends. It may seem obvious but if you are surrounded by people who complain all the time, you will find it is hard to not complain about things. If you choose to surround yourself with people who encourage, you will naturally encourage others more. If you want to reach success in any area of your life, find someone you can connect with who is already achieving success in that area.  

Choose your friends wisely. Choose people to be apart of life who will encourage, challenge, and support you. Take time to develop friendships and invest in others around you.  You will be a better leader because of it. 

originally published: June 27, 2019