The Power of Relationship Capital

Cultivate Genuine Connections

Do you ever wish you had a cadre of people you could rely on to support your goals, celebrate your successes, to stand up for you? You can, and you should. Those people – your true connections – amplify your personal power.

As a personal coach, some questions come up over and over again. What are my biggest regrets? Do I have advice for someone just getting started? What is the most important lesson I learned in my career?  My answer is always the same: connect.

“Build the right relationships with the right people and nurture them over time, and you’ll always have a leg up on the competition.” – Paul May

When I look back, I regret that I didn’t put in the time, effort, and work to build and maintain relationships with those I crossed paths with earlier in my journey. I learned later than I would have liked how essential and powerful those connections are. Whether you are just getting started, or you are well on the way to your desired destination, my advice is that you get real good at relationships. And be genuine about it.

Connecting vs Networking

Connecting is not the same thing as its close cousin, networking. The goal of networking is simply to know more people. You may already have an extensive network of acquaintances from your professional or personal life. But you can only really know – or connect with – a small subset. Invest in meaningful connections, and you’ll get a significant ROI in “relationship capital.”

“I define connection as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.” -Brene Brown

A wise woman once said, “Relationship capital is what inspires your connections to advocate for you.” Okay, it was actually me who said that. But it’s true! Make a sincere and intentional effort to build a diverse group of connections. You’ll win fans, advocates, cheerleaders, coaches, and confidantes all committed to seeing you succeed.

Be Authentic

Nurture Genuine Relationships and Build Your Team!

Creating connections means going deeper – sharing your authentic self and investing valuable time in relationships built on trust and understanding. It’s the foundational pillar of what we do here at Ascentim. That relationship capital I mentioned is like a master key. It unlocks more doors than you can imagine. Advice and information, access to people and resources, opportunities for career advancement, honest feedback, support, and the satisfaction of offering the same to others (because you have just as much to give!)

 The power to connect may be the difference between going far and going all the way. Let’s go all the way to the top, together.