If you have ever stopped and considered some of the reasons you have experienced any of the success you have enjoyed thus far, two big reasons have to emerge in your thinking: You worked diligently on yourself and you put focus on your relationships. While I usually put a lot of attention on the former, today I would like to address the latter.
You might be thinking there are several elements that contributed to your success such as college, diploma, interview skills, being at the right place and the right time, and sure all those things can contribute but none of them contribute as much as your diligence to your own growth and your ability to grow and develop relationships. Because those two contributed to those other ancillary factors you may have considered. Plus, the other elements do not really explain how you got to any successful place; they were only transitional elements while my main two are driving forces.
You and I are both products of serial relationships.
One person led you to be introduced to the next person--and you carry all these relationships with you through your life and career. So, if we know we are a product of all the people who have brought us to where we are, why do we allow ourselves to become so busy we don't invest in relationships?
With all of the tools we have at our disposal now, even with a pandemic, relationships are all around you right now. In fact, during the last year, I have probably met more new people than I have in any normal year I can remember. So, what are you doing to increase your relationship equity? Who are the people with whom you need to be in communication? Your own personal competency can be outstanding, but relationships will get your competency noticed by others who can use it.
Today, commit to making a list of people you can reach out to this year. Think about the online communities you can join and become involved in. Increase your relationship equity. Be intentional about cultivating it. Add value to someone else. Go for genuine, authentic, transparent, trusting relationships. They are what has brought you to this level so far and they will take you where you want to go in the future.