Investing in relationships

One of the leadership books I am reading has a section about how to prepare to lead. Unprepared leaders can derail a meeting even if other participants are prepared. A first step in that preparation process is to ask the right questions. For example, What is the purpose of the meeting?, What needs to be accomplished?, What are the limits of the group?, and Who will attend? In my life, I have meetings every day. In many of those cases I am,at least in part, leading that meeting. Variety of thought and viewpoints is helpful to keep my thinking fresh. If I always surround myself with people who agree with me, I forget that there are other ways of looking at things. Other vantage points or "look angles" help us to see the cracks in the foundation that can cause the whole deal to come crashing down. There are times I am blind to the "elephant in the room" and the elephant is obvious to someone else in the meeting. I can usually tell by looking at people's faces if I am missing something. The key is, as always, keeping the relationship and communication current. I have had people go with me on things because of our relationship even though they didn't agree with the direction I was going. You cannot buy that kind of loyalty, it is always earned. Investing in the lives of people we are with results in a great return on investment.

Social Capital

I am reading a book called “Leadership Challenge”, a Business week best seller. One of the concepts worth pondering is the importance of “Social Capital”, the collective value of people who know each other and what they will do for each other. It is human networks that make things happen, not computer networks. Leaders who get extraordinary things done are right in the middle of those human networks. Social capital is amassed over years of investing in building relationships. I find that I do not have to be an expert, but I need to be connected with people who are. If I have invested in that relationship wisely, they are more than willing to be there for me when that expertise is needed. It is the old rule that says withdrawals require prior deposits. Deficit spending in the area of relationships is a dangerous situation. On a spiritual level, investing time in your relationship with God will give you back much more than you put in. God will infuse your account with all you need in the areas that really count allowing you to reach out and infuse the accounts of others. When your “Who you know” list includes God, there is a peace that passes understanding in your life.