Practical Wisdom

Keep Your Inner Circle Small

Close to the Vest

Stack the Deck

Back in the days of the wild west, poker players use to keep their cards low on the table and close to their vests. They did this to make sure no one else could see their cards and to avoid other players getting the upper hand by changing their playing style based on knowing about their cards.

In this analogy, I want you to think about your inner circle as the hand you have been dealt. Now you might have a hand for business, for family, for friends … but usually, in a special area of your life, you are surrounded by the same set of people. Those people don’t change much, you can occasionally ask for another card and get rid of one that isn’t serving your overall hand — but for that particular period of time, your hand is your hand.

If we hold this all to be true, then it would best serve you and the rest of the individuals in your inner circle to ensure you are surrounded by the best of the best! If you can swap out a 7 of clubs for an Ace of Diamonds, it seems like a smart bet.

Start with Friends

While it makes sense theoretically to pick your inner circle, there are some real-world logistics that can make that harder than it seems. For example, you…