How to Lead with Clay Scroggins and Adam Tarnow Who's in Your Circle?
Mar 2, 2026
They argue isolation limits growth and your circle sets a ceiling on potential. Learn the four essential relationship roles: mentor, peer, truth-teller, and protégé. Hear practical moves for intentionally designing relationships, asking for guidance without awkwardness, and building rhythms that sharpen you. Finish by auditing who stretches you versus who just comforts you.
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Your Circle Sets Your Growth Ceiling
- Growth stalls when you're the smartest person in your circle; your peers set your ceiling.
- Clay and Adam cite the proverb "he who walks with the wise grows wise" and the idea we're influenced by the five people we spend most time with.
Design Your Relationship Portfolio
- Design your relationships intentionally instead of waiting to "bump into" the right people.
- Adam urges agency: build relationships that stretch you rather than passively hoping for them to appear.
Ask A Sage Two Stages Ahead
- Find a mentor who is two to three stages ahead to tell you what's a phase and what's worth fixing.
- Clay recommends asking for a specific short meeting and requesting advice on one concrete issue.
