🎂The Birthday Edition
On Purpose Leadership turns 1 and the power of connection
Originally posted August 2024
Last year, I shared on LinkedIn about how a brief interaction with a complete stranger at a non-profit event led to a surprisingly deep and heartwarming conversation. Because of my strong value for connection and the work I do with teams and leaders, I think a lot about the ingredients for building meaningful relationships in spite of the negative diatribe that can seep into the workplace. I'm clearly not the only one thinking about this.
Cultural critic and bestselling author, Elise Loehnen, wrote in her substack about the politics of exclusion which is the practice of morally excluding those with differing views, often by creating harsh labels. This approach can backfire, pushing people away and reinforcing divisions, rather than fostering understanding and finding common ground.
Organizations should go out of their way to create opportunities for connections across teams, leaders, and departments to help remind us of our common ground. The benefits of such initiatives are well-documented: a 2018 Gallup study found that employees who have a best friend at work are seven times more likely to be engaged in their jobs.
Here are a few exercises to inspire you around this topic:
Try this hilarious activity with teams that are just getting to know one another. I did a similar exercise via Zoom a few years ago and walked away with a lifelong friend in Ilana Lipsett.
Participate in the "One Small Step" Project with StoryCorps. This initiative has facilitated over 100,000 conversations between people with different viewpoints, fostering understanding and empathy.
Borrow a few questions from this famous experiment known as the "36 Questions That Lead to Love." The study by psychologist Arthur Aron demonstrated that intimate conversations can accelerate closeness between strangers.
By engaging in these exercises and fostering genuine connections, we can combat the isolation and division that often characterize our digital age. Remember, people are likely more open to connection than we might assume – all it takes is the courage to reach out.
“The roots of resilience,” the psychologist Diana Fosha writes, “are to be found in the sense of being understood by and existing in the mind and heart of a loving, attuned, and self-possessed other.” In how you see me, I will learn to see myself.”
― David Brooks, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
Happy Birthday
I believe in celebrating milestones both big and small. On Purpose Leadership just turned one and I marked the occasion with my family over personalized cookies. What milestone, change or tiny habit are you celebrating? Don’t skimp on the celebration - it’s sweeter when it’s shared with others.
