– the willingness to connect is the ability to succeed.
Collaborative leadership and networking are vigorously promoted as the keys to success and growth. This should make the ability to expand and deepen relationships the most sought after skills. Yet, aggressive advocates, tough salesmen and fierce negotiators continue to be revered, while courtesy, reasonableness, and fairness are viewed as weakness. It seems that we all know that the relationships that truly matter are the ones that form from honest connection with people you know, respect, and just plain like. Yet, when we put on the business suit we do everything in our power to mask the person underneath.
True connection requires the removal of the mask. Certainly, leaders who are forceful will make things happen. After all, it’s a basic scientific principle that the more force you apply to something, the faster it accelerates. But long term success requires sustainability—not just propulsion. It seems the all too often ignored superpower, and true key to long-term business development, is having the courage to listen while others focus on commandeering; having the patience to form real friendships—not just a network of business contacts; and the professionalism to treat clients, colleagues, and even adversaries and competitors with the same courtesy and respect.
Putting on the business suit should not mean masking the humanity. Whether in the boardroom, a sales meeting, a contract negotiation, or the courtroom, the power to influence stems from the ability to truly connect.