I began my trusted leadership journey many decades ago. While the journey has been a long one, it has been the most rewarding process I have ever experienced. It all started when I became the Executive Director of what is now one of the largest construction trade associations west of the Mississippi.
This role carried a lot of responsibilities, one being running a monthly event for our members where people could come together, work and operate as a trade association and making decisions that are best for the industry. One of the most profound moments I had in this position was during the very first monthly meeting I attended. During the meeting, a literal fist fight broke out in the bathroom. I was shocked. However, this was the introduction that allowed me to understand how fierce the competitors are. Competition was the way people built their business, and the competition never stopped. Every project, every resource, any manpower or labor was a competition.
This was my epiphany moment.
I thought, “Oh my. We need a better way.”
Surely, we can be equally as successful by being cooperative as we can by being an adversary. And that is what has set me on my journey. What I’ve learned over the past 35 years is that you can be exponentially more successful by becoming a trusted leader.
Think about your leadership within business. Are you choosing cooperation over competition? Have you challenged any of your industry norms?
It’s never too late to change your approach to business and start cooperating.
