Page 108 - How Great Leaders Build Abundant Organizations That Win

WHERE AM I GOING? (PURPOSE AND MOTIVATION)

at a baby’s first smile and thinks, “Oh, he likes me! Now we
have a relationship.”
Again, there are low-abundance and high-abundance ver-
sions of this category. Lower-abundance versions might be
people who are interpersonally needy or codependent or who
like parties and social events but don’t develop real relation-
ships of mutual trust, understanding, or care. These workers
hang around at the watercooler but may be more invested in
gossip or being liked than in getting the job done.
A higher-abundance version of connection might be
a devoted parent, a trusted friend, or a skilled networker.
Connectors find deep meaning in sharing life with other
people, and people are the priority that gives meaning to
everything else in their lives. At its best, connection moti-
vates peace making, compassion, cooperation, and teamwork
and fosters skill in listening, empathy, honesty, and service.
Socially responsible connectors form advocacy groups, lobby
for change, and rally support for environmental activism.
In an organizational setting, individuals highly motivated
by connection grease the skids to help people get along at
work. They consider the impact decisions will have on real
people. They tune in to the needs and feelings of custom-
ers. They may have good intuition for solving interpersonal
problems or creating systems to coordinate efforts of diverse
groups. Under dire conditions, they endure so they can be
reunited with or help those they love. They know instinc-
tively that people matter more than things, more than
policies, more than money, more than anything.
Organizations motivated by connection may include
service-oriented industries of all kinds, clubs and sports
leagues, neighborhood or civic groups, the social arm of
religious groups, and extended family structures. They

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