“When they gave the donkey flowers to smell, he ate them” — Armenian Proverb
Do you know someone who is content with getting through the day to day not wanting to be any better than the day before, not taking any ownership for their actions, or constantly making mistakes as they blame others? In some of the most trying labor times we have and will ever see, if we want to grow and get ahead, it’s imperative that we get away from the “Donkey Culture”.
Think of the thoroughbred horse… Thoroughbreds like hanging out with other thoroughbreds. They don’t hang and gain influence from the donkeys. Think about that for a second. Thoroughbreds are fast, beautiful animals. They love to train and get better. They eat the best food. They look good and are sharp. They are million dollar animals. And they are treated as such! Donkeys are simply jackasses.
Which one would you consider yourself? A donkey or a thoroughbred? Or which one do you want to be as you grow? I’m hoping you didn’t have to think too hard on that one. In your leadership journey, you are only going to attract what you are aspiring to be yourself. If you are a “Donkey” Leader, you are going to attract more donkeys. If you would qualify yourself as a Thoroughbred, guess what kind of people are going to be attracted to you and want to grow with you?
Ask yourself this — Who are the 5 people closest to you in your life(outside of your spouse and kiddos)? Who do you spend the most time with? Who do you learn from most? Who do you socialize with? Who do you work with closest? Who are you most influenced by? We are an average of the five closest people to us. If you are surrounded with a bunch of jackass minded people, well.. If you want to build a life of significance, hang out with those that are going to build you up. The greatest athletes, train with great athletes. People who want to be more financially well off, hang out with those that are making an impact in that area. If you want to grow in your faith, surround yourself with people that are more spiritually strong. Why? Because you are just like those people you surround yourself with!!
Where do we start to analyze this in our own lives?
Think about who you spend the most time with. I refer to this as our “CORE” network. Now write those 5 people down on a piece of paper. Think about where they are at in their life journey. Do any of those people fit into what you would classify as donkeys, or are they more thoroughbreds? If you have any donkeys on that list that are pulling you down instead of pushing you up, you need to remove them from your “Top 5” list sooner than later. I’m not saying that you should kick them to the curb. I’m just saying they cannot be in your direct sphere of influence. You are better to have 2-3 quality peers that are pushing you towards greatness, than 5 donkeys! Let’s make this more personal towards our organizational teams — Are you building up a donkey organization, or a company built of quality, excellence, and character breeding thoroughbreds? It’s more important than you might think to analyze this.
Next, is there anyone within your circle of friends, coaches, or mentors that you need to spend MORE time with? If so, write their name down and put that intention on paper. Now go make it happen! You have to be intentional about your growth!
I will land the plane with this… Reading, learning, and educating ourselves every single day is incredibly valuable for our personal growth. I find the PEOPLE in my life play an absolute critical role in my thought process and ultimately my actions. So make sure your inner circle of life is full of great influence and that you move the donkeys to the outside of the wheel. Our most diligent, competent, knowledge-hungry growing team members don’t want to work with donkeys (those individuals who are less responsible, less motivated, and of course less trustworthy). Thus, if you are currently hiring “donkeys,” you are destined to hire more and more every single season. Subsequently, if you hire a person who is eager to roll up their sleeves, come to work each day with a great attitude, and take ownership and accountability for the work they oversee, you have found yourself a “thoroughbred”. When this happens, you are starting to work towards the culture you desire and crave! Then, when a donkey emerges into your Team, a thoroughbred can spot em from a mile away!
Just because someone shows up to work everyday doesn’t mean they’re working. You are growing a team of greatness, not teaching a high school gym class — no one should earn a passing grade for attendance!