Lesson 3: Avoid the Trap of the Inner Circle | Martin Gonzalez

The English language has no shortage of words for leaders who mix personal loyalty with professional power. See: cronyism, nepotism, favoritism. There’s a reason those words carry a negative charge. And at the very least, as Google DeepMind’s Org Development Lead Martin Gonzalez stresses, it can be hard to do business alongside those closest to you with much — if any — impartiality. In this video lesson, Gonzalez shares pitfalls to stay aware of when bridging business and personal relationships. The Trap of the Inner Circle: Centering a culture around existing relationships in a way that leads to groupthink Leaders naturally want to build a team of people they trust. Research suggests that business relationships between: Friends and family are the most unstable Acquaintances are more stable Former coworkers are the most stable People with personal relationships are often less willing to put them on the line to have hard business conversations. If this is your configuration, you’re not bound to fail. But you need to spend extra time creating healthy disagreement. 3 Signs to Watch For The Illusion of Invulnerability: Inner circles can become overconfident. Ask your team to help you spot risks and identify ways to pivot. Unquestioned Beliefs: Inner circles might not test their ideas. Give your team space to ask hard questions. Self-Censorship: Inner circles can make people afraid to challenge them. Ask your team to speak up. © Freethink Media Inc., All Rights Reserved. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Go Deeper with Big Think: ►Become a Big Think Youtube Member Get exclusive classes and early, ad-free access to new releases without leaving Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/@bigthink/membership/ ►Become a Big Think Web Member Get the entire Big Think Class library, premium print issues, live events, and more. https://bigthink.com/membership/ ►Subscribe to Big Think on Substack Get all of your favorite Big Think content delivered to your inbox. https://bigthinkmedia.substack.com/subscribe/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- About Martin Gonzalez: Martin Gonzalez is the co-creator of Google’s Effective Founders Project and the co-author of The Bonfire Moment.