Leaders are Connectors…

I’m blessed to have amazing people in my network. By incredible, I mean someone real, raw, and genuine. Someone trustworthy who tells the truth, gets stronger over time, and doesn’t get complacent when things are good. Someone who always strives to be their best while uplifting others with their presence. If you’ve ever met BTL Builder Pete Kunk, you know exactly what I mean.

I first met Pete years ago when he would show up to practice with my team at Choice Recovery. He came to shadow Chet because he wanted to get better and always found a way to make me smile. Today, we spend more time together during our Friday band practices, and just like old times, as soon as I saw him this morning, I couldn’t help but smile.

Some say that we’re the average of the five people we spend the most time with. I don’t know if that’s true, but it makes sense to me. Post-COVID, I started working from home and had to make more of an effort to connect with people I wanted to let in. There’s a reason we constantly rant at BTL that leaders are connectors — because it’s true. So I recently bugged Pete to give me seven good minutes, one of our favorite leadership exercises at Built to Lead, and was reminded once again that when you invest time to get out of your own head, to get curious and lost in another, seven good minutes can quickly turn into 67 great minutes.

Who is in your top five? Who are you choosing to invest your time with — at work, near the watercooler, or at the bar for happy hour? This is something you can control and something you gotta protect. Of course, it’s your choice, and your choices have consequences…

About the author: Chad Silverstein is a seasoned entrepreneur and thought-leader. With over 25 years of business experience, Chad’s entire career has been dedicated to creating a positive social impact in all of his enterprises. His entrepreneurial journey began while in college at The Ohio State University, where he founded Choice Recovery, Inc., which earned national recognition and was twice ranked as the #1 company to work for in Central Ohio. Chad is now a strategic advisor for Authority Magazine’s thought-leader incubator and an Executive Leadership Coach with Built to Lead, where he recently launched an online community for leadership development.

To learn more and connect with Chad, visit www.chadsilverstein.io