Career Mission's Chief Executive Officer, A. Harrison Barnes, in a webinar discussed the importance of being around people or groups that support and encourage you.

People usually wonder as to what it is that is holding them back from reaching their full potential. Harrison believes that more often than not, the company you keep has tremendous influence on you and largely determines the success or failure in your life. If you spend time with a person who is invalidating your efforts, the odds are you will be negatively affected. Similarly, if someone constantly validates you and gives you approval, you may benefit tremendously through your association with this person. In this context, Harrison talks about the home team concept which he believes relates directly to a performance and success rate. The home team advantage actually means that when a team plays at home, it tends to perform much better. Similar to the sports world, if you are among those at the workplace who make you feel good, you are bound to do a better job.

What Harrison is trying to say is that no matter how much drive you have and how talented you are, you can be held back if you are not given the support that is so essential for courage and mental strength. Everyone needs it and so do you. The best thing that you can do for yourself is to put yourself in a position where you are supported, where you have the home team advantage.