Precious Metals

I was recently reminded of the sage business advice contained in an old children’s song my daughters used to sing… “Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver the other gold”.

Many years ago, Sting was asked by an interviewer, what it was like to release a solo album after such a successful run with The Police. He said he thought it was silly to call his latest project a “solo” album in that he collaborated on it with some of the best jazz musicians in the world. Sting, who has worked as a school teacher and a ditch digger, has since gone on to sell millions of records in his “solo” career and he has collaborated with great musicians from genres as diverse as Jazz, Blues, Classical, Middle-Eastern Pop, Latin, Opera and Elizabethan Folk;  always ready to share the credit for his artistic success.

No worthy enterprise is a solo effort. All require leaders, risk takers, believers, supporters, followers, collaborators – virtually nothing is accomplished alone. Throughout my career I have been privileged to work for and alongside very gifted colleagues, clients, employers and supporters, without whom I would not have been able to achieve meaningful success in my own endeavors.  I have had the satisfaction of making a contribution to worthy initiatives that made a difference in the lives and businesses of others.  At times I have profited from my contribution in tangible ways, and sometimes my reward was simply the satisfaction of knowing I was part of a worthy cause. The role of supporter, witness, counselor and cheerleader to a friend or colleague does not always pay in hard currency, sometimes the rewards are less tangible, but no less valuable.   

Today we have tons of great tools for maintaining our personal and business networks. Some are extremely useful for building and nurturing our circle of business and professional contacts. The real value in using tools like LinkedIn and Facebook  is not in the quantity of people we have in the various networks we manage, but rather in the nature of the relationships they help us sustain. Integrity, respect, authenticity, camaraderie, support, empathy, responsiveness, effectiveness – these are the qualities that form the basis of meaningful and enduring relationships – whether personal or business. These are the distinctions that matter most when we are called upon to build or become part of a new team. These are the distinctions that add genuine value to the relationships we have developed over the years.

Are you someone people turn to when they need help? Can you be counted on to deliver when it matters most? This is how we build equity in our relationships; it is how we become part of someone else’s indispensable currency. This is how we find our way to something larger than ourselves. Life is not a solo project.

“Make new friends but keep the old; one is silver the other gold”. 

Are you invested in precious metals? Are you one?