Your Circle of Mentors — Give 110%

How were Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates able to hang on to the CEO job at their companies from inception through growth to thousands of employees? The biggest factor for all of them was that they surrounded themselves with older, more senior experienced business executives, dozens of them. All three of them tapped into their college professors, friends of their parents and others with experience in scaling a company.

And they listened to them.

And took their advice.

And followed up on the advice they were given.

In other words, they appreciated the time and access they had to these people. It made the difference. There’s more on this topic in the chapter “Who Do You Love?”.

The best way to build this circle of advisors is to start with people you know well, or that someone you know knows well. It often feels like they’re hard to reach and to sustain a friendship with, that’s why working you way out from your most inner circle is best. And then deliver 110% on your commitments. Not 70 or 80%. Mentors are especially watching to see if you’re giving it all you got. A half-ass effort by a so-called entrepreneur will turn off mentors quickly and cost you years of good will.

It’s really about effort and respect for the work. Think of it like an awesome trainer you have hired. If you don’t do every exercise they assign (and more) you will waste your money and, worse, their attention.

So don’t screw it up. Work harder. 110%.