Relationships Require Strategic Investments

Just in case you’re slow to catch on, like I am far too often, there’s no such thing as a self-made leader. The relationships we build, personally and professionally, are key to unlocking our potential. That said, we’ll need to be as intentional about maximizing the return on investment in relationships as we were in recognizing the untapped power of honest feedback - and maybe even more so! I previously referenced the time two of my mentors, Terry and Rod, invested into developing relationships with team members when they were new in their roles at the manufacturing facility we worked at. That time provided each of them with a measurable return, increasing the influence they would need as managers in that facility so they could achieve long term results. As important as it is for each of us to develop solid relationships with the teams we lead, it’s crucial that we work just as hard at building relationships that stretch us and help us become more effective leaders. When we do that well, those will likely be the same trusted relationships that yield some of the best alliance feedback we ever receive…

To this point, I’ve mentioned Terry and Rod quite a bit because they were both very influential early in my career - and they’re both still willing to offer input any time I reach out to them today.  As amazing as they’ve both been, I’ve consistently worked to build strong alliances with leaders in other industries who have different experiences and different perspectives. That’s become increasingly important as our primary business focus dialed in on increasing profitability by building better leaders and we’ve worked with companies in all sectors of the economy. Each relationship we’ve had the opportunity to build has turned into an asset that’s produced exponential returns, but that has always required intentional nurturing.

Before moving forward, let’s address a potential elephant in the room. I’m in no way suggesting that it’s ever acceptable to build a relationship for the sole purpose of what we can suck out of that interaction. While you and I could each rattle off a list of folks who have done exceedingly well financially by taking this approach, at least at face value, I’ve never seen those folks maintain positive results over the long haul. Galatians 6:7 tells us that “For whatever a man sows, he will reap in return.” If the relationships we create are based on a spirit of manipulation, we can expect the same in return. But when we build relationships with the goal of serving everyone involved, the exponential returns will be something we can be excited about…

Since starting our business in 2015, Cindy and I have invested a tremendous amount of time and energy into connecting people who may add value to one another. For the most part, the folks involved in those connections have been very appreciative and it’s been an essential part of cultivating strong relationships. This has become so much a part of what we do that people now frequently reach out to us to initiate introductions, for them personally or on behalf of the business they’re with. While building these types of relationships have helped grow our business too, it’s proven to be incredibly fulfilling. That’s a large part of why we launched our Executive Leadership Elite Think Tank group publicly in late 2018, we wanted to provide business owners and high-level executives with resources that would help strengthen their organizational leadership cultures but we were just as excited about doing that in a way that help those business leaders build great relationships with one another. 

Occasionally, though, our willingness to jump at the chance to help with connections reminds us that not everyone is interested in mutual benefit. I once heard a senior manager comment on how the consultant his business had engaged was great at stroking the owners, well, let’s call it his “ego” to keep this G-rated, with one hand while stealing his wallet with the other hand. Whether that kind of intent is recognized immediately or it takes months for it to come to light, trust is lost and any future return from that relationship is diminished - if not completely lost. We’ll look more at just how important trust is in maximizing return on investment in relationships next.