Connecting in a Disconnected World

When we talk about being connected in terms of our relationships, what do we mean? How do we connect with people? How do we establish that connection and how do we maintain it? To me, being connected with somebody means that I have an established and mutually beneficial relationship with that person. They understand me and I understand them. There are no ulterior motives and neither party is trying to take advantage of the other party. It is a win-win mentality that is open and comfortable and these sentiments are felt throughout the relationship.

What happens when parties become disconnected? When there is a loss of mutual benefit and a win-win mentality one or both parties will end up feeling a negative impact. Disconnect between a leader and an organization can lead to greed, poor business decisions, loss of jobs, loss of respect and, in extreme cases, the demise of the organization. Today’s leaders need to ensure that they engage and invest relationally in their organization in such a way that will result in transparency, mutual respect and mutual benefit.

Below are some things that leaders can do to align, or connect, themselves with the values and goals of their organization and the people that work with them:

1. Show vulnerability – Don’t be afraid to share yourself with others and to expose parts of your true personality. By sharing your personality, your team is better able to relate to you. A leader who can relate to her employees can ask more of them during important and intense times.
2. Be passionate – Don’t hesitate to show your emotions. I’m not pushing for the unbridled emotions of a leader, but maybe we’ve gone too far the other way and suppressed our emotions. Our passion is expressed by our emotional energy, and it truly inspires others.
3. Adopt a cooperative mindset – Pursue win-win scenarios every time. Not only will this pursuit help you build and establish trust, but the pursuit is more productive than win-lose scenarios. Why, because true collaboration and sharing of valuable ideas happen between people and organizations that trust each other.
4. Invest in others – Take the time to get to know the people you work with. Know these 3 things about them:
   • What are they good at?
   • What makes them come alive?
   • How do they uniquely contribute?

By doing some of these relatively simple tasks leaders can elevate their performance by having the ability to connect. Try it!

Onward!

Wednesday, December 16th, 2009 Leadership

1 Comment to Connecting in a Disconnected World

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