Surround Yourself with Better

Written By Anthony Lambatos

Skiing has always been one of my favorite things to do. It started when I was very young and although I never skied competitively growing up, I always loved my time on the mountain.

Looking back, I can point to two moments in my life when my skiing improved dramatically. One of them happened when I went to college at the University of Oregon.

Growing up I had always played organized sports. When I got to college and suddenly didn’t have a team to be part of, I remember thinking, I’ve got to do something. I knew I enjoyed skiing and felt like I was pretty good at it, so I decided to join the club ski team.

What I underestimated was how much experience all the other kids had competing.

Enjoying a beautiful day of skiing

The rest of the team had grown up ski racing. They knew the technique, the pace, and the discipline that came with the sport. I had none of that experience.

In fact, during my first practice I skied right around the finish line because I thought it was just another gate.

It wasn’t exactly my proudest moment.

But I kept showing up. I took classes on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and we were on the slopes Tuesdays and Thursdays. Over time something interesting happened. Just being around those skiers and trying to keep up with them elevated my own performance. 

Watching how they attacked the course, how they trained, and how seriously they took improvement pushed me to get much better and faster than I ever could have on my own.

That experience stuck with me and shaped how I think about leadership.

If you want to grow, you have to put yourself in environments where people are ahead of you.

Be around great people.
Learn from them.
Watch how they approach their work.
Let their standards raise yours.

Growth rarely happens in isolation. It happens when we surround ourselves with people who challenge us, inspire us, and raise the bar for what’s possible.

So here’s a question to think about this week:

Are you intentionally putting yourself in environments with people who are ahead of you?

And if not… how soon can you start?

RAISE YOUR LEADERSHIP STANDARDS AT THE MIBE WORKSHOP

Keep MIBE-ing!
Anthony Lambatos
Founder, MIBE Hospitality Leadership Development
Owner, Footers Catering

P.S. Want to be in a room with future great leaders? Join us at our MIBE Workshop May 12th - 13th.

Anthony Lambatos

The Coach — This guy is easily the best-dressed due at the office. Anthony is also the only gentleman who wears a suit in the office, so it comes as no surprise. In addition to dressing well, he’s a master of organizational management. And Excel spreadsheets. If there’s anyone who can get you excited about pivot tables, it’s him! Although he studied business and marketing at the University of Oregon, Anthony received his Ph.D. in running a company at the School of Hard Knocks. As early as he can remember, Anthony was involved in the family business. And now, after years of experience in the good, the bad, and the ugly, he knows how to handle any situation. His leadership, patience, and desire to make those around him better is why we call him The Coach.

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The Three D’s — Dream it. Do the work. Decide how you show up.