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How a chance encounter can change the trajectory of your career.

How often do you take a chance to reach out to someone you don’t know for the pure join of getting to know someone?

Even more important is how deeply do you ask questions and listen to the wisdom they may share with you?

I ask this because forming human connections is the antithesis of networking which can be quite superficial.

Sound familiar? Read on…

I took a chance to speak to a quality professional and they took a chance on me to share their story.

While I was listening to both their backstory, a piece of wisdom came from them that I’d never heard before. They shared that in an organization where compliance requirements need to be met, they set that as their “Ceiling”. Their philosophy is to set the compliance requirement as the “Basement”.

Organizations who only seek to meet compliance requirements will forever be in a place of just seeking results and never take advantage of the power of compliance and how in the end it builds confidence in your customers to buy your products or services.

Organizations who see the compliance requirement as the “Basement” and seek to achieve a higher level of performance are ultimately rewarded with your customers dollars and achieve sustainable peace of mind.

It’s a monumental mindset shift when it comes to true leadership and I ask you to ponder this point. Are you a leader that seeks to simply meet requirements or use them as a platform for achieving excellence?

Because you took a chance to read this article and apply it to your situation, might I / we have changed the trajectory of your career?

I’d love to hear your successes or the battle scares you received while leveraging this wisdom.

I’m forever grateful I took a risk to get to know someone on a deeper level. They were excited I found value in their words and allowed me to share them with my community.

If you have a story or want to form deeper connections as part of building a valuable network, reach out to me and let’s talk.

Be well-Deb

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How Networking is an Investment in Elevating Humanity

I took a chance and reached out to a CEO of a company with an invitation to get to know who they were as a person and what did they do to leave a legacy. What unfolded was 45 minutes of realizing what an amazing human I found and someone who was so aligned with my values and leadership style. I can’t wait to get them onto my podcast for you to meet them, but until then here are a few things we can learn:

Take a chance and just say “Hi and I want to learn more about you!”.

I reach out to 100-200 people per week just to connect with humanity. Unfortunately, there is so much transactional outreach, people are numb to entertaining a real conversation. I persevere for the few that are willing to say yes! For those who have met me, I think you will agree that I’m sincerely interested in learning about you and also imparting some kind of value during that time. No transaction, but real human connection. I take a chance on humanity and it has rewarded me in people I can help and even those who come onto the podcast.

Be present and seek the outcome of building a relationship.

I’m sorry, but networking groups who advocate for “closing the deal” and get 2-3 referrals or push “how can you help” makes the encounter transactional and puts too much pressure on people. What we are truly after is building relationships that if you’re patient can turn into trust and possible collaboration. I made this mistake early on in my networking days and since being more intentional about relationships, the transactions come in the form of a collaboration or commitment of support. Play the long game and don’t be fooled by the guru’s that promise 10x inbound calls or 10x your Linkedin or YouTube following.

Treat those as you want to be treated.

If you are lucky to arrange a networking call, lead by seeking to learn about the other person. This is no time to download your CV/Resume because you revert to the transaction vs. the outcome of building a relationship. When people see you are sincerely curious about them and asking follow up questions, you build trust. Naturally the person will reciprocate and ask about you; ensuring you lead with who you are as a person and then what do you do to be in service to others. When you treat others with respect, it will come back and further deepening the relationship that is part of humanity.

I leave you with one last thought that while Humanity has evolved to be fast paced, divisive at times and we lose sight of what really matters, we need to depend on each other to survive as a race. Connect with others, seek to build deep bonds and help the collective survive what can feel like impossible times. Networking if we do it right can be the key to survival in business, careers and even family and community.

Focus on what really matters. The Human race depends on it.

If you like this article, please share with others so we can inspire others to reach their fullest potential.

Be well-Deb

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How Mirrorless Leaders Never Realize Their True Value…

I might sound like a broken record, but time and time again when I meet someone new or perhaps an old colleague who has reconnected, I see them in ways that they cannot see themselves. This is what I call Mirrorless Leadership; when they think they know their value, but can’t really see their true self.

It’s like being the picture of someone else’s narrative. They sound like they’re a leader and their doing leader-like things, but it sounds like an empty recording of what others are saying about themselves. It contains nothing unique and can quickly fade until people don’t really know you.

I will also say that if you’ve been fortunate to have a 360 review of your performance or received actionable feedback, sure you can change your mindset and behaviors, but it’s only a partial mirror. The problem with this is people are measuring you against their expectations for which the bar may be too high or it’s the wrong bar.

Infrequently do people listen to you and find the nuggets of value that you bring to people and your environment. When we can see our unique gifts, it opens up our eyes to greater possibilities and builds confidence in yourself. If we don’t have a mirror, we accept the judgement of others who are not seeing us, but simply telling us what they expect.

So how do we solve this?

Find a trusted partner and do the following:

  • Start sharing with them what gets you excited; tell a few stories.
  • What are the the things that you’re most proud of?
  • How have you helped people either at work, in your family or community?
  • Where have you made an impact and people have thanked you?
  • What environments stifle your creativity?
  • What have you done differently that has changed the lives of others?
  • What frustrates you about your current situation and what would you like to do to change it?

That trusted partner becomes your mirror and if they have the gift of deep listening and can reframe what it is that makes you unique, you start to see yourself differently and regain your confidence to move in the direction you decide.

Sure, I’m offering you a bit of coaching right now and I hope you can go away and do this yourself or find a partner who can work with you. But if you don’t have a support system, let me be your mirror and help see yourself for who you really are.

Until we meet, I wish you well and much success!-Deb

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