The picture is of part of our booth at the American Society for Training and Development’s (ASTD) International Convention this week. Four of us from the Kevin Eikenberry Group are here talking about leadership with learning professionals from around the world.
It is an exhilarating opportunity. The air is thick with passion and purpose. AS I sit in my room reflecting on yesterday and preparing for today, what struck me as my big lesson of the day was connection.
People came to our booth for a variety of reasons, not the least of which was connection. We reached out to a number of people before the event via email, postage mail and phone calls. We connected with people through Twitter. While those connections got people to us, the conversations that were the most fun, and the mot fruitful were those were a deeper connection was made.
Common backgrounds. Common experiences. Common goals.
When we find those deeper connections, magic can happen.
I’ve been connected to the rest of the conference sessions that I can’t attend by a feed on Twitter. I’ve read lessons about sessions, read of people meeting up, made new connections myself and more. this tool is helping me, and many others of the 8000 at the Conference connect to the event and to each other.
This isn’t a post about how we market at our booth or how people interact at a Conference. This is about all of lives. This is a lesson for all of us as leaders.
As leaders we must connect with those we lead. We may need to do that in a variety of ways, and if some we lead are of different generations or in different time zones (or continents), the tools might change a bit.
Underneath the tools and the context is the important truth that it is all about connections.
When we invest of ourselves to make a connection, when we put others first, and when we make it a priority to connect with others, good things happen for us, the other person and the organizations we serve and lead in.
Here is your leadership question for the day (and week) – How am I connecting with others today?
Kevin –
When you stated, “When we invest of ourselves to make a connection, when we put others first, and when we make it a priority to connect with others, good things happen for us, the other person and the organizations we serve and lead in.” I absolutely agree!
Make it all about the other person – as Zig Ziglar stated, “if you help enough people get what they want, you’ll get what you want”.
Be Well.
Paul.
http://www.AllAboutGratitude.com