I was a first-year high school English teacher when the department chair and I sat down to discuss how things were going. During our conversation, she encouraged me to give the students 30 minutes of independent reading time during my class. I was conflicted. I felt if I wasn’t “teaching” then I wasn’t doing my job. She asked me if I valued the importance of reading. I, of course, said yes. What she said next has stuck with me the rest of my life. She looked right at me and said,
“If you value it, you’ll make time for it.”
Day-after-day, I coach leaders in business who value results more than relationships. As a result, their credibility is negativelyimpacted and their team morale is often low. Being a leader with high emotional intelligence doesn’t mean we put results or relationships above the other. It means we value both and we take the necessary time to build authentic relationships so we get results the “right way.” In doing so, we cultivate stronger trust with others and we model to future leaders how to create a culture that will set the organization up for long-term success.
Below are eight ways you can make time for and cultivate mutually beneficial relationships in all areas of your life:
- Support others’ goals & dreams
- Celebrate & recognize their success
- Be emotionally present & available
- Trust them enough to handle the truth
- Be willing to share your whole self
- Make consistent investments in the relationship
- Acknowledge others’ thoughts and emotions
- Apologize when needed & work through hard times
I hope you will pick at least one action to focus on today!
Do you have another best-practice in building relationships that weren’t mentioned in the list above? Email me your suggestion. I would love to share it with others.
Finally, below is a short video on ways you can make deposits into your relationships!
If no one tells you they believe in you today, I believe in you.
