Principles of Leadership Part 6: Leading by Connection

Why is leading by connection important? Connecting with someone allows you to establish trust. It is much easier to talk to someone when you have something in common. Find ways to connect by looking for clues into what the other person likes or is interested in.

Finding commonality in interests opens up the conversation in all areas. For example, start a conversation with a co-worker by talking about their most recent camping trip or how their home improvement project is going.

Leading by connection is directly related to listening. You can easily find out things to talk about by listening to what the other person is saying. Likewise, the other essential piece of connecting is consistency. How often are you checking in with your team members? Are you genuine in your conversations? Let them know you care by connecting.

– Jess