Most of my real estate friends would agree with this statement: “The three most important words in real estate are – location, location, location.” To be sure, location is huge in both residential and commercial sales. That being said, “What might be the three most important words in developing and growing in leadership?”
Most experts in the field would say integrity, delegation, communication, self-awareness, gratitude, influence, and empathy. What I find personally intriguing is a word that is missing from most lists, but is at the top of mine. It’s the word “relationships.” It’s been my experience that if you are good at building and maintaining healthy relationships, you probably will succeed in your leadership endeavors. However, if you fail in this important area, your future impact will be limited.
Why don’t more leadership gurus talk about it? Some do. Frank Molinario is the Vice President of Human Resources at Security First Insurance. In a Forbes Magazine article posted a couple of years ago, he said, “What I have learned, even before I was ever an HR professional, is that relationships are everything.” Further, “At the end of our careers, we will not remember those managers who made the least effort. We will remember those we formed relationships with — the leaders who were there to lend an ear when we had a close relative pass or the boss who took the time to talk with us about our son who just left for college.” I’ve never met Mr. Molinario, but he’s on to something…something BIG.
In my context think about this. Jesus Christ said to love God and love others in Matthew 22: 34-40. It seems to me that healthy relationships are so important that God didn’t just suggest we treat others well; He commanded it.