The Inner Circle

When Jimmy Mc Ginty was appointed Football Coach for Washington D.C. (The Replacements), he set his terms. He wanted total control of the team, be able to recruit anybody that he wanted and to pick the players without any interference from the club owners. The owners of the club agreed.

Jimmy went through a list of players whom he had been keeping his eyes on for years. They were good. Not everyone was a professional, though. The players came from different backgrounds; SWAT team member, shop assistant, bar tender, reverend and Shane Falco, a retired former quarter master of Ohio State Football Team. Jimmy put these 'players' together. He was focusing on their strengths not their weaknesses. Jimmy made each one of them go through tough football training and team-building mill and processes - forming, storming, norming and performing - to form a winning team.

What Jimmy did was nothing unfamiliar. Being the leader of the team, Jimmy call the shot. Jimmy looked for the following 'players' (Maxwell):

a) those who raise up themselves
b) those who raise up morale of others
c) those who raise up the leaders
d) those who raise up others
e) those who raise up people who raise up other people.

In management and politics - BN, PR etc - such games are played by leaders. They have a list of 'who's who'. They have a complete record of people - the good, the bad and the ugly- whom they want to pick. They picked their men and and positioned them to deliver what are expected of them. These people had the leader's trust but it is the leader that call the final shot.

They are members of the Inner Circle. Why is this so? Every leader's potentials is determined by the people closest to them. When leaders have the right people - staff/ co-workers, their potentials ecxel. Mind you, there aren't lone-ranger leaders, for if you are, you aren't leaders.

Have you thought through about your inner circle?