HigHER Self CEO: Porter's Diamond

Map Your Ecosystem

Porter’s diamond is about understanding how certain industries are successful in certain countries. Look for example at Germany and the car industry or consumer electronics in China. It looks at the ecosystems the countries offer to these industries so they can thrive and be competitive.

Now, self-development is never about competition, but we also don’t live in a vacuum. Our ecosystems that support our goals and purpose and to make us thrive are equally important as are our inner mindset. So here’s my take on how to apply Porter’s Diamond to life and self-development.

Factor Conditions: Your Resources

What are your unique assets? Go back to your SWOT Analysis and look at your Strengths. How can you translate them into resources?

Skills: What are you naturally good at, or capable of learning quickly?
Energy: How do you manage your mental, emotional, and physical resources?
Connections: Who can you collaborate with or learn from?
Health: What are your physical and mental well-being non-negotiables?

This is the baseline for your future growth.

Demand Conditions: Roles vs Wants & Needs

Demand Conditions in Porter’s diamond looks at what the population of a contry demands that can be fulfilled by the industries. So if we want to apply this to life, it means looking at what other people demand from you. So ask yourself: what are the different roles you’re playing? Employee, parent, friend, etc.

But I want to take this a step further, and not only look at the demand that other people have, but what is the demand that you have.

What do you want from this life?
What do you need?
What does your inner CEO demand?
Are these demands that you have in alignment with the roles you’re currently playing?
Where are you functioning as a people pleaser?
Which roles do you want to redefine or get rid off entirely?

Having clarity on your desires creates the right pressure that drives your growth.
Aligning with your true demand conditions stops you from chasing society’s “shoulds” and focuses your energy on what matters most.

Related Industries: Your Support Network

No company or CEO succeeds alone. They have a full network of suppliers, business partners, contacts, etc. Who’s in your ecosystem? Who is providing you support?
In this step you want to look at what is already there and what you want to seek out to build your growth foundation and you can expand on.

Mentors, collaborators, and peers who push you forward.
Communities that inspire and hold you accountable.
Relationships that expand your capacity rather than drain it.

Firm Strategy & Rivalry: Mindset & Habits

And finally let’s look at strategy and rivalry. As I said in the beginning, self-development is not about competition and definitely not rivalry. But you can find people who have done what you want to do successfully before you. So rivalry in our framework are role models.

Look at your current you: how you manage your habits, your internal narrative, and the role models you choose. From there, look at what your future you wants to be like.
For this last step look again at your SWOT analysis and dive deeper into your Opportunities and Threats.

Mindset: Are you growth-oriented, or stuck in comparison and fear?
Habits: Are your routines designed to reinforce your HigHER Self CEO identity?
Role Models: Who do you study, emulate, or take inspiration from?

Porter’s Diamond in Action

When I applied this framework to my own life I realised that my “Factor Conditions” are strong, but all other areas can be improved. Although I have worked hard on building a better network of “Related Industries” this year and I have a solid foundation now, there is more I can do to seek out mentors and peers.
The greatest areas of improvement for me however are my “Demand Conditions” and “Strategy & Rivalry”. I’ve been always too vague on what a dream life really looks like for me. What roles do I want to play? What identities do I want to take on, and which ones do I want to let go? And how do I create a system that supports all of this?
So this realisation for me was really transforming and with this knowledge I’m able to make 2026 my best year yet.

Your HigHER Self CEO Porter’s Diamond Exercise:

Draw four quadrants for: Factor Conditions, Demand Conditions, Related Industries, and Firm Strategy & Rivalry.

Fill in each quadrant:

Factor Conditions: What assets, skills, and energy do you have?
Demand Conditions: What do you truly want?
Related Industries: Who supports and inspires you?
Firm Strategy & Rivalry: How do you challenge yourself and manage habits?

Highlight 1–2 areas per quadrant that need focus. In our next step we’ll look at how to tackle these areas.

Porter’s Diamond isn’t just a business tool, it’s can also perform as a framework for your identity architecture. When all quadrants align, your personal ecosystem supports your growth. You become the CEO of your life, operating with clarity, leverage, and strategy rather than just willpower and discipline (which we all know are finite resources).