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Relationships define our leadership style. How these relationships are maintained will determine your success in any group or organization that you are part of. In this series of posts we are looking at John C. Maxwell’s book, “The 360 Degree Leader“.

Invest in Relational Chemistry

“People won’t go along with you if they can’t get along with you”

You must take responsibility for connecting with the team members that you lead, as well as those that are leading you. This is a short list of actions to take in order to increase the level of connection between you and your leader:

1. Listen to your leader’s heartbeat - Take the time and effort required to discover just what your leader’s inner workings are. “What makes them tick?” Focus on these things, if you do not know where to begin.
   • What makes them laugh?
   • What makes them cry?
   • What makes them sing?
   • What do they worry about the most?
2. Know your leader’s priorities - Your leader has a short list of activities that must be acomplished in order to be successful. Know what these action items are, and make sure that your own work is done in support of these objectives.
3. Catch your leader’s enthusiasm - You know how sharing enthusiasm for the game creates a bond within a sports team, or group of fans. This same type of bond can be created between you and your leader, and passed on to the rest of your team.
4. Support your leader’s vision - Know where your leader is headed, and what compass they are using to get there.
5. Connect with your leader’s interests - Do you know what your leader does outside of work? Do they golf or run? You do not need to take up these activities yourself, but you should know about the basics and the players. Go to the bookstore and peruse the magazine section.
6. Understand your leader’s personality - You can study some of the materials on personality types available online to discover your own type, and that of your leader in order to gain insight into how to best interact.
7. Earn your leader’s trust - Trust is the currency of the new economy. Your investment in building your relationship with your leader will create a “bank account” of trust that you can use to improve you career.
8. Learn to work with your leader’s weaknesses - You cannot improve the relationship that you have with your leader if you are unable to see and accommodate your leader’s weaknesses. Learn to anticipate them, and be prepared to assist when needed.
9. Respect your leader’s family - Being polite and courteous to your leader’s family in all situations may seem like a no-brainer. Keep in mind that you have little control over how you are perceived by your leader’s spouse and family, so be sure to make a good first impression, and maintain a positive attitude toward them.

“The thesis of Winning with People is that people can usually trace their successes and failures to the relationships in their lives. The same is true when it comes to leadership. The quality of the relationship you have with your leader will impact your success or failure. It is certainly worth investing in.”

If you found this post useful, please share it with your friends on Twitter using the tinylink http://tinyurl.com/66e5oj. Thanks, I appreciate it! Feel free to comment below, I enjoy discussing these ideas. ~@Stephen