Optimize for best peers

15 years into my career, it’s clear that peer groups are a powerful force. Many peers from university and from early/mid career roles at high performance companies are in key leadership roles, with influence, network, and insights to share. They have also become friends, advisors, and confidants. 

People want to bond with those who are higher up in the chain. But the leaders above you aren’t as incentivized to reciprocate, and they will probably be retired when you are mid career. Your peers, on the other hand, have to and want to work closely with you; you form camaraderie and friendships, learn and shape each other, grow together in your career, and even become life-long friends. Peer relationships outweigh every other kind, except maybe a handful of mentors or managers. 

It’s natural but also silly that people are most jealous of their peers. It stems from a scarcity mindset around limited opportunity in the particular environment and wanting the same scarce thing. But the world and your career are much bigger than any single organization or opportunity. You want your peers and people you know to do exceedingly well! That means you’re in good company, you’ll learn more, and also know smart, successful people who can help you out in the future. 

In your peers, you want high trajectory and horsepower, ambition, and also humility and kindness.  

An exceptional peer group is also a good signal for a high-quality organization. It shows that many smart people, with options, intentionally chose this path and this place, and will shape it as well. 

So whatever you do, optimize for places with great peers. And do your best to be a capable, helpful, and well-wishing peer because you attract what you put out. 


Note: 

1. This is true on Twitter and social media too. Engaging with your size peer accounts might be lot more fun and productive, than trying to get the attention of large accounts. 

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