We all have good and bad days. Days when everything runs to plan, where everything feels effortless and smooth – and then others where you feel as if you are wading through treacle. There are days when the stars are perfectly aligned and everything you touch turns to gold, and others where every which way you turn you feel as if you are banging your head against a brick wall.
Even on the worst days, the opportunity to share the good and the bad, the highs and the lows, the successes and the failures with people that you trust and care about you is priceless.
Last week I experienced the gift of connection. I was inspired by thought leaders, concerns were openly discussed and put to bed after a great talk with another individual on the same wavelength. Partners in my personal vision were uncovered as windows of opportunity opened – and perhaps most importantly, from a truly human perspective, I gave all I had to another from a place of true compassion, care and belief.
I can still remember, (many years ago!) in my 20s, being stopped outside a bar in Soho, London by Ewan McGregor (yes I managed to stop the knees buckling!). I was on the phone – as usual – and he said to me; “You know, the power of face to face connection is so much more important”.
Never a truer word was spoken.
In this age of digital drama, of social media saturation, we must not forget the pure power of personal connection, the gift of conversation, the simple face-to- face acknowledgement of each other.
The impact of the personal touch.
Remember the last time you received a handwritten note from someone you cared about and the feeling of warmth and pleasure it created? Remember that coffee meeting where idea after idea was discussed openly, honestly and with interest? And what about that long chat with a dear friend – where the weight of the world was on your shoulders – and then suddenly you could breathe again?
As business owners and leaders – and as women – we must remember part of our responsibility is to model the behaviour we want in our teams, colleagues and peers.
Connection is a gift. The ability to converse with those we care about should be a joy.
Walk the talk. Show others the power of the personal.
The biggest benefactor will be you.