Many of the world’s most successful celebrities, athletes and entrepreneurs credit their climb to the top to one common element: outside support. Household names from Oprah Winfrey and Leonardo DiCaprio to Andre Agassi and Serena Williams have looked to coaches, mentors and peers to help them refine their crafts and make significant improvements. Here are four reasons you and your business should, too.

A Candid Approach

While not always comfortable or easy, giving your trust to someone who has no reason to sugarcoat the reality of a situation is empowering. In fact, an unbiased third-party perspective is sometimes all that is needed to help you regain focus and direction. Relying on another’s outside-in view can also help to unearth obstacles to progress you might not even have been aware were present. Direct, honest feedback, the kind that is offered constructively and with the improvement and growth of the recipient in mind, is critical. This is precisely the type of feedback you should regularly seek from outside help you enlist to mentor, guide and coach you toward goals.

A Broadened Perspective

Studies show that persistent problems are more quickly and effectively solved when people collaborate with others than when they attempt to solve them alone (more here: http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2006/04/group.aspx) This is likely because diverse perspectives have the potential to expose more facets of the problem than are visible from one person’s view. Often, people immersed in their daily environments and experiences have difficulty seeing beyond their immediate circumstances. An outside perspective, combined with a collaborative approach, can be invaluable for helping to activate peripheral vision and bring the big picture back into focus.

A Wealth of Experience

Julius Caesar is quoted as saying, “Experience is the teacher of all things.” When you are looking to strengthen and improve specific areas of yourself and your business, there is no better place to begin than with the help, support and insight of someone who has been where you are and who can speak with confidence and knowledge about where you’re headed. There’s something to be said for walking alongside a guide who can help you to navigate obstacles before you begin a journey. You might not be able to avoid them entirely, but you can at least be prepared for them, putting you at a distinct advantage.

A Dose of Encouragement

People are, by large, creatures of habit with a tendency toward defensive reactions and negative responses. Encouragement and positive reinforcement, while not as innate as criticism and negativity, are far more effective at helping to change behaviors and reach goals. Whether you need a hand on your back or some wind in your sails, leaning on someone who can keep you moving forward while capitalizing on your strengths and focusing on the positive is priceless. It also serves as a reminder that, sometimes, swimming against the current is an effective way to build strength and defy the odds.

Can you and your business benefit from outside support? Take this quiz to find out.

• Do you appreciate feedback and input that is honest, forthright and direct?
• Are you often so immersed in the day-to-day operations of your business that you struggle to have a clear big-picture view?
• Do you value the opinions and feedback of others who have experience in areas you’d like to improve upon?
• Is it important to you to be able to build on your strengths while receiving focused, constructive feedback, support and encouragement?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, you and your business could benefit from the insight, input and support of someone with an outside-in view. Visit www.landopt.com to find out how LandOpt can provide the focused support your business needs to take it to the next level.