Connect the Dots

Where other see individual stars, leaders see Orion.

Approx 3 min read

Here we are, coming up on two years of uncertainty, now lunging toward 2022. Two years of not quite knowing what is true, what is a conspiracy, and what we need to know to keep ourselves safe, our families safe, and what we need to do to thrive. The picture isn’t clear because we have leadership that lacks clarity either from incompetence or refusal. We are left on our own to find the path of connection and the dots are not numbered. We need leaders who live in our reality to fill the void. And it starts with connection.

In one of my last blogs, I mentioned my car. It is a fast car that smells like oil and gas, it will vibrate your right hand if you rest it on the shift knob, it will hurt your ears at redline, and most certainly anger your neighbors. So why do people consider this version of the GT350 one of the all-time greats? Connection. You are connected to the car, connected to the road, and you use all your senses to know exactly what the car is doing. Newer cars don’t often have this same connection. Electronics control new cars that can park, and in some cases, drive themselves, give you warnings when your driving sucks, and you have to double-check that the car is running. Convenient? Sure. Fun? No. I like to connect to a car. Connection is why my dream car is a Porsche. Not necessarily a newer one (I mean, I’d take it), but an older air-cooled Porsche; say a 1978 or 1984. These are driver’s cars. The highest-rated cars out there connect the driver to the road.

In a more naturistic example, 42 million people visit Central Park in New York City per year. That is nearly double that of the next most visited city park in the country. In a sea of cityscapes and towers, Central Park is a place to connect with nature. Most who visit have no clue who designed Central Park; a guy named Frederick Law Olmsted. If you want to learn more about him, read his biography written by Justin Martin called “Genius of Place.” While most might see a group of trees, Olmsted had the gift of seeing it as a blank canvas. He used God’s creation as his art studio and crafted the land in a way that others connected with. Most hear the wind in the trees, Olmsted heard music sweeping through the landscape. Like a music conductor takes disparate notes and brings them together in the right sequence and timing to make disconnected sounds come together in harmony, Olmsted did the same with nature. In doing so, he shaped and designed some of America’s most historic parks and landscapes, such as Central Park, so you and I can connect in a greater way with God’s creation around us.

As leaders, we have a responsibility to connect the unconnected truly, and transparently. A critical element within that responsibility is to be intentional about our connections. Social media has established the greatest level of connection we have seen. Yet, left unchecked to the point it has become, we are more connected to people but far less connected to reality. This creates challenges for leaders to generate authentic connections in the workplace in a world filled with false reality and expectations.

In the business I lead, we have multiple subsidiaries and thousands of team members spread across the country. When I first took over, each subsidiary and group stood alone and disconnected from the other teams. Disconnected organizations lack diversity, new ideas, creativity, and efficiency across the value chain. These organizations also miss the opportunity to bring people together and ensure they know and feel like part of a larger community with a shared purpose. Our focus quickly became connecting the disconnected.

As 2022 rolls in, commit to connecting your teams with one another, with their customers, with their families, and with critical stakeholders. Find new and creative ways to generate and promote authentic connections – people to people. Utilize small groups, get-togethers, and more and celebrate what right looks like as much as you possibly can.

In the absence of good and clear leadership at the political levels, we need leaders like you to stand in the gap and set the example of what transparent and connective leadership needs to be and look like. True connection is as important now as maybe ever. You don’t have to wait for politicians or others to give you permission to bring people together. Unity starts with us and you were chosen for just such a time. Let’s help each other step into it.

Happy New Year!