By Mark McCatty, Leadership & Team Advisor

My wife is always doing things for me. She’s good that way. And since my wife is so willing to do things for me I decided to return the favor by doing something for her. She likes Zumba and has frequently invited me to do Zumba with her. So, when I offered to go with her to a Zumba class she was pleased. We were on vacation together and I thought it would be a wonderful thing for us to do together.

I don’t know if you have ever been to Zumba before. It was interesting to me. This Zumba event took place in a small workout room; mirrors at the front where the instructor stood and it seemed to me that there was not enough space for the other 15 of us. The music was a salsa-rhythmic type and the instructor was moving…a lot. He would model the moves he wanted us to follow. Without any warning, he would switch up the moves and we were expected to move with him. I was one of the few inexperienced people in this group. And since I was positioned in the back of the room

Leadership is influence. Leaders influence others to work together to accomplish shared goals. Effective communication is an operational means of influence. By sharing ideas, discussing concepts, and seeking common values to align around, leaders are able to utilize their influence to obtain mutually beneficial results.

True leaders understand the value and influence that come from having strong connections to others through positive conversations. Good conversations lead to trusting relationships. Having a trusted relationship is critical to a leader’s ability to influence. Challenges that organizations face, and the obstacles to successful outcomes are frequently found – not in the technical environments – but in the social environments. The social environment is where the value of affirmative connections yields positive results.

Conversations Create Connections