Evolving Your Circle: Ecosystems of Excellence

(Torrence-ism) You don't need more people—you need more purpose in your people. The only way to win the long game is to build with people who feed your fire instead of draining your flame.

Your core group sets your professional ceiling. Your network is an Ecosystem characterized by interdependence and shared purpose. The goal is high Synchrony of Purpose (everyone moving toward a similar high goal) paired with high Diversity of Input (different skill sets and backgrounds). You must perform a Quarterly Energy Audit to identify relationships that are net negative—those that cost you more psychological or emotional capital than they provide in value. This is not about being callous; it's about recognizing the scarcity of your professional energy and time. You can only rise to the level of the five people you spend the most time with, so you must deliberately curate your ecosystem to be a high-performance environment.