[August 07, 2014] My English teacher Mrs. Whitehead from my High School days would disapprove of this title because it ends in a preposition. My senior class was the one that did not do well that year and so we were regularly schooled on grammar basics and she was a success in that despite our lack of talent. We did learn from reading the classics, in particular Shakespeare. We learned that the people you associate with sends a powerful message.
“The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate – for the good and the bad.” – Colin Powell
This is so for many reasons. First, those we hang out with are people similar to us. We either become more like them or they become more like us. Either way, we are comparable to those we associate with, either regularly or briefly. Second, we are telling everyone around us that we approve of them and their past and present behaviors, thoughts, and deeds. Whether that is our intent to send a message is not relevant because the meaning is nonetheless sent.
“The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.” – Colin Powell
Leaders must be aware of the nature of this fact and work consciously to ensure they do not associate with the wrong people. The wrong people are those with unsavory character, those who have proven themselves lacking in virtue and prone to unproductive, unethical, illegal, and immoral behavior. What this does not mean is that we should chose friends and colleagues based on race, gender, ethnic, religious, or other like attributes. Character is what makes the difference.
Mrs. Whitehead would at least be pleased that I learned something that year. Politicians are more than ever careful in regard to this lesson. They know from experience that being close to people who are criminals is not conducive to being reelected. In fact, some have even called clean politicians charlatans for having friends in their past who have gone to jail. This may be an unfair characterization but is nevertheless the way things work. The point here is that the people you associate with will define you.
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