Who You Walk With Matters

You are only as good as the people you surround yourself with.

For a long time, I believed that success was primarily an individual pursuit. Work harder. Learn more. Push through. Be resilient. Those are important, and they are part of the story. But they are not the whole story. Over the years, I have come to understand that none of us truly grows in isolation. The people we choose to keep close shape our trajectory in ways that are both obvious and subtle, conscious and unconscious.

The people around us influence how we think, what we believe is possible, and how we show up in moments that matter. They set the tone for what we tolerate, what we strive for, and how we respond when things feel uncertain or overwhelming. Being around people who are thoughtful, grounded, curious, and generous has a way of lifting your own expectations of yourself. Being around people who are cynical, complacent, or unkind can quietly pull you in the opposite direction.

I have learned that the right people do more than support you. They stretch you. They ask better questions. They encourage you to see beyond your current limits, while also reminding you to stay anchored in your values. They offer perspective when you are too close to a problem to see clearly, and they offer steadiness when your confidence wavers. Sometimes they are cheerleaders, sometimes they are gentle critics, and sometimes they are simply a calm presence that reminds you that you are not alone in the work of becoming better.

There is also a quiet accountability that comes from being surrounded by people you respect. When you admire someone’s integrity, their discipline, or their compassion, you naturally want to rise to that standard. You become more thoughtful in your decisions, more careful with your words, more intentional in your actions. Not out of fear, but out of alignment with the kind of person and leader you want to be.

And beyond growth and achievement, there is something deeply human about the people we choose to walk with. They make the hard seasons bearable and the good seasons richer. They remind us that progress is rarely linear and that it is okay to ask for help. They bring laughter into long days, wisdom into complicated decisions, and meaning into work that could otherwise feel transactional.

I have also come to realize that surrounding yourself with the right people is not passive. It is a choice. It requires discernment, humility, and sometimes courage to seek out people who are smarter, kinder, and more capable than you in different ways. It requires honesty about the environments and relationships that help you grow versus those that keep you small. And it requires being willing to be that person for others—to show up with generosity, curiosity, and care.

In the end, none of us builds anything meaningful alone. Our ideas are sharpened by others. Our resilience is reinforced by others. Our impact is amplified by others. We are, in many ways, reflections of the people we spend our time with.

So I’ve become more intentional about my circle. I look for people who value growth, who practice integrity when no one is watching, who treat others with dignity, and who are willing to have honest conversations. Because when you surround yourself with people like that, you don’t just become more successful. You become more grounded, more thoughtful, and more human.

We rise together. And the people we choose to rise with shape how high—and how well—we rise.