Greetings.  Being an insider.  It's generally viewed as a really good thing.  To be in the know and have access to the latest and greatest information.  To be totally connected and have access to the most influential people.  To be able to get things done and make things happen.  All because you're a trusted insider.  It's a special position that many of us spend our entire lives striving for.  Putting in the time and doing the hard work required to become part of the "inner circle"…because it beats the alternative of being out of the loop, disconnected, and completely incapable of accomplishing the things that matter most.  

But is being an insider all that it's cracked up to be when it comes to innovation? Or, could it actually limit our ability to come up with and implement new ways of doing things?  Because the more we become an insider, the less we seem open to outside ideas and possibilities.  And the more we seem to think that we have it all figured out.  That the way we do things is not just a better way, but the only way.

Being an insider too often means being vested in the way things are.

That is unless we are also willing to take an outsider's perspective.  A perspective that allows us to not only see ourselves the way others see us, but also to see others in a way that might challenge us to think that we don't know everything.  That we could learn and grown and, as a result, become smarter and better.

We win in business and in life when we appreciate the importance of also being an outsider.  Open to getting better and reaching our full potential.

Cheers!