You're known by the company you keep....

“Always try to associate yourself with and learn as much as you can from those who know more than you do, who do better than you, who see more clearly than you.”

- Dwight D. Eisenhower

I've often said if you want to change, you'll hang around people who are changing.  Also true is the corollary if you want to win, you'll hang around winners.

At lunch earlier this week a prominent business owner in the area commented how few nonprofit staff he sees at business social affairs in the area.  He wasn't speaking of the larger charities, but the mid-sized and smaller ones, the ones who "do so much and need to scale their operations".  They stay small because they hang around small people. 

Look, we all know what's coming down he pike in terms of austerity, and it won't be pretty.  There is no more hoping to hold on until the economy turns around.  Grow or die.  It means you have to take stock of who you surround yourself with in your business affairs.  Do yourself a favor and invest more time hanging around the people who are successful.  This means being part of the Chamber of Commerce.  This means joining Kiwanis or Rotary.  This means membership in various business associations.

Eisenhower was guided in leadership by men like Connor, Pershing, Marshall and MacArthur.  His tutelage in planning and logistics came under Mosely.  He sought out forward thinkers in the emerging field of tank warfare like Patton and Brett.  All of those influences came together at the moment of supreme crisis and propelled Ike to forefront of history.

Pause and consider the company that you keep.