“Share yourself with those around you, something important to you. Your time, a gift of money or a token of importance, an act of service, words of admiration or encouragement. Give without asking for anything in return. The act of sharing is powerful and you’ll get a tremendous sense of satisfaction from doing it. ” — Nate Lind
Learn Yourself, Exercise Aggressively, Grow Tribes, Express Passion, Navigate Confidently, Destroy Limitations, Share Treasure.
It is better to give than to receive. We’ve all heard this adage, and we may even scoff at it. But there is truth in it that we must embrace as we travel this journey of the Legends Mastermind. Why? Because it is our duty to better our communities and everyone in them. To share our wealth of knowledge and self-understanding with others who may not be as far along on their own personal journey as we are on ours.
Sharing treasure means that the world around you becomes richer and happier. And that means a more fulfilling and happy life for everyone involved. So don’t be a miser; share your treasure. The easiest way to do that is through honesty and truth, and allowing yourself to be open and vulnerable.
Share Your Truths
The Business Journals outline the importance of honesty and integrity in leadership roles in their 2015 article “Why Honesty and Ethics Are The Two Most Powerful Leadership Roles” in part by stating that;
“…In the long term, honesty carries the day, gains stronger support from employees and allows the right solutions to be applied to resolve problems. Another important outcome from honesty is that it builds trust, one of the most critical elements of solid leadership activities. Survey after survey shows that a low trust factor stifles relationship building and followship. It is displayed and built on personal behavior, the quality of decisions and open and honest communication by a leader.”
The world is already full of used-car-salesmen and life coaches that can improve your life in seven easy steps — Don’t be another one of these guys. It creates a sense of mistrust and unease, and as that emotional and mental state begins to spiral outward to others around you, it inevitably creates an atmosphere of shallow and superficial interactions and a lot of half-truths and information filtering. If you as a leader show the fortitude and strength to spill the truths of your life and experiences — the good, the bad, and the in-between — others will respect the transparency, and it creates an environment in which individuals will be more open and honest about their situations and thoughts as well. This builds stronger bonds and more productive settings.
Be Open. Be Vulnerable.
This is a tough one, because the concept of “vulnerability” is often associated with weakness and being soft. It’s been found that the opposite is true, and opening up and being vulnerable with others can actually be one of the best options for us as human beings, and entrepreneurs.
Root Inc CEO Jim Haudan and consultant Katharine Lind address this tricky aspect of human nature by explaining;
“Being vulnerable in the workspace doesn’t mean you walk around with a box of tissues and share your deepest, most personal secrets with everyone. So what does being vulnerable in the work environment look like? Being vulnerable at work simply means you are ready to let your guard down, put aside any pretenses, and be your real self. A vulnerable leader is one who checks his or her ego at the door, is comfortable with not having all the answers, and is ready to wholeheartedly embrace the perspectives, opinions, and thoughts of his or her people.
A leader who shows vulnerability is someone who stops feeling compelled to be the first one with an idea or the first one to answer a question. Becoming vulnerable requires a mindset shift where you start to see the aspirations of the business through the eyes of the people you lead. This invites them to become more involved in — and in fact to become the drivers of — the conversation. When you are vulnerable, your employees feel more connected, invested, respected, and vital to the organization. Everyone benefits.”
Your ability to embrace vulnerability can in fact be your greatest strength. People trust people, not vague, shadowy, undefined figures. Your vulnerability is one of your greatest assets when it comes to humanizing yourself and endearing yourself to your team. People will trust a man who has emotions, opinions, passions, and honesty — They won’t trust a polished, plastic, disingenuous shell of a person. So learn how to use it to your advantage, and you’ll find that your relationships deepen and people’s trust and faith in you increases exponentially.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series, if you missed any of the other rules you can get caught up here:
Rule II — Exercise Aggresively
To learn more or reach out to Nate, visit www.natelind.com
