‘Wow, that was SO useful!’, a client said at the end of a coaching call last week. I hear that often in my work. After all, that’s what people want to work with me for.
And I’m going to let you in on a little secret. None of what I share is rocket science or state-guarded secrets. A lot of what I do is invite people to consider a different way to look at a problem, which then invites a different action, and then a different – often more desirable – result.
The people I work with are highly intelligent, often qualified, usually excelling in their field. And sometimes they can’t see the wood for the trees.
Reframes or shifts in perspectives are probably the most underestimated and the most powerful tools for leading. And a lot of what I do.
Which is probably why Ben Crowe’s book resonated so much. It reframes some key principles around how we work.
And this week on my Grow Your Influence podcast, we talked about one that strikes deep: from fitting in to belonging.
“The single greatest predictor of happiness is the quality of our connections,” says Ben in his book.
And you might think, like the team I was talking to the other day, that “well, connections is what I pursue in my personal life”.
To which I want to offer you this, : cumulatively we spend literal years, decades, of our lives at work. Do we really want to cut connection off from our work? Who does that serve? What are we missing out on by doing that?
And since this is a leadership blog, let me add an important bit to it: connection is not just a predictor of happiness.
It’s also a predictor of performance (56% higher when people feel connected to their colleagues, according to a BetterUp study!).
And that leads me to another idea that Ben flags: it’s that we both crave and fear connection in equal measures, because it makes us feel…vulnerable. And I might add that’s particularly true when we’re in positions of leadership, whether real or perceived.
That is what we’re talking about in this newly released podcast episode – the shift from fitting in to belonging – and I would love to hear what you think when you’ve had a chance to give it a listen.
All good things,
Juliet Robinson
Leadership and Change Specialist
