All great leaders have a sidekick who pulls them out of the quicksand with that vine that just so happens to be hanging off a nearby tree. Or maybe they have a different type of sidekick. One who tries to pull them out but then decides to let go of the vine suddenly.

The Lone Ranger had Tonto, Beavis had Butthead, and the list goes on. All kidding aside, great leaders have sidekicks that contribute to their dream. Or hinder it!

No one can do it alone. As much as we think we can, we need others to make our dreams come true. There is no such thing as a self-made millionaire. Yes, individuals can have great success but not without the help of others.

What Happens When You Have The Wrong Sidekick

If you're not achieving the success you want in business, maybe you don't have the right sidekicks? The stronger they are, the more likely you are to reach your end goal. But sometimes we overlook things. We have a halo effect for some of the closest people around us. Meaning we see the best in them and overlook factors that may hinder our progress.

This is common. The CEO or Founder tries to execute a vision only to find it fall short. How come? Is it the front-line that's not doing their job, do employees not believe in the strategy, or maybe the strategy just sucks? Or perhaps their second in command isn't following through with their end of the bargain?

I recently worked with a business owner who initially gave his right-hand person many praises. After weeks of digging further, I discovered that this same person is causing one of the biggest challenges in his organization.

This happens more often than you think. It's not purposeful sabotage, but more a difference of opinion. You may have the same end goal but differing thoughts on how to get there. You've probably heard people say that the most important factor is having a common vision (the why). Completely false! How you get there is just as important. This is where things fall apart in a business. Everyone wants to be successful, make money and get things done. But not everyone agrees on the methods involved.

This shouldn't deter you from trusting in your people 100%. As Ronald Reagan so eloquently stated "trust, but verify". Always inspect what you are expecting from others.

On The Flip Side

Having a great sidekick is a blessing. Being able to trust someone to assist in the vision takes a load of a business owner's shoulders. Every business owner wants support from others. Even the owners with the biggest egos. And when you find the right people that can get the job done, it's like striking gold.

The more sidekicks you have, the more you multiply your efforts. So find more sidekicks. I've seen extremely successful business owners have sidekicks in almost every aspect of their life. Their business, their personal endeavors, their family life, etc. Yes, even their spouse or partner is their sidekick.

It's more than just multiplying effort. It's about creativity. Every person has a finite amount of mental capacity to deal with things throughout the day. When a person gets bogged down with things hitting them from all different directions, they have less energy and capacity to be creative. When there is another person to shield the things that a business owner shouldn't have to deal with, there is greater freedom to be more creative.

To top it off. What's the first thing a person wants when something great happens? They want to share it with others. We are creatures of community and having others by our side is what makes us truly happy.

Key Takeaways

Here are some things to think about:

• What area of business or life do you want a sidekick? Notice I didn't use "need" on purpose. No one wants to admit to "needing" someone else.
• What are the "must haves" in each of your sidekicks. Never waiver on your standards.
• Look for sidekicks that can compliment your skills and knowledge. Finding others exactly like you gets boring fast. Plus, you want your sidekicks to challenge you in a healthy way.
• Here are the basic requirements in a sidekick: alignment in your values, high-performance, ability to learn, and self motivated.
• Always trust, but VERIFY!

Have an amazing day and go find yourself some amazing sidekicks!

Purdeep Sangha – Founder, Better Bigger Faster

P.S. Check out my Perpetual Profits Podcast for more tips. www.profitspodcast.com