This week I was reminded of a great metaphor I first heard almost 10 years ago- that of being like a ‘river’ and not a reservoir or even worse, a swamp.
‘A river is free flowing and abundant with life, a swamp is motionless and stagnant. Rivers have traditionally been the focal point for settlements, trade, progress and expansion. Swamps = smelly back waters where people don’t want to live’. This was the reminder from mentor Darren Hardy.
When I was recruiting full time and commuting to work I distinctly remember discovering two key resources that shifted my thinking and opened my mind to actively leading with value. The first was John C Maxwell’s 15 Laws of Growth, and in particular his 15th Law- “The Law of Contribution”. This was my first introduction to the abundance mindset of believing that we will keep on receiving so long as we are dedicated to personal growth and always have much to give. We should “be a river not a reservoir”. In other words pass on knowledge rather than keep it to ourselves.
The second resource was an article in Success Magazine called “The Monchu Method of Networking”. As I read it I instantly recognised how neatly it applied to the world of recruitment. [That was back in 2011, and now with property as my focus the same method is equally applicable]. In short the article was about identifying circles of people who we want to help succeed and people who could help us succeed. The underlying message was about making a conscious effort to serve our various circles with value each day.
I remember how that article really resonated with me and walking to work that day I began thinking about how I could proactively better serve the people in my market. I forget to whom my first offering went and what exactly the article was, but the process grew into a habit as I began intentionally looking for opportunities to add value to other people’s lives.
What exactly is leading with value?
In short, leading with value is all about genuinely seeking to add value to others and building a relationship before ever asking for anything in return. That value could come in all shapes and sizes from information, advice, or even something as simple as listening to what someone has to say.
What about you, are you a river or a swamp?
If you’ve been learning things over the last 10 years, have you been sharing what you learn with others?
The 2 key things about a river are 1) they have a fresh source of input; and 2) an outlet that allows the fresh input (water) to flow through it. Swamps on the other hand just pool water in the lowest lying areas.
You are no doubt getting new input, ideas and insights from what you read, events you attend, courses you work through but are you letting it flow through you to make room for more new ideas? By doing so you won’t be losing anything, on the contrary, you’ll be gaining by sharing what you learn and reinforcing it.
This distribution outlet might be a conversation with your family or training your team on how to run your property business more effectively, or….you fill in the blanks
How could this philosophy benefit you in your property business, what about with family and friends?
With whom are you going to share new ideas to keep things flowing THROUGH you and keep you from becoming stagnant?