Are you a good PARTNER?
David Freund, Chief Leadership Officer

While I was at the most recent Maxwell Leadership conference, I heard John challenge each of us to be a good partner. As I reflected on this new acrostic from John, it had me evaluating my own life and my efforts to be a good, or better yet, great partner. I’d like to share the “partner” acrostic with you and encourage you to consider how this teaching could speak into your life.

If I partner with you, I will:

Place your agenda above my agenda – This may seem to be one-sided, but when we place someone else’s agenda ahead of ours, it pulls the partnership to a much higher level of collaboration. They see us as being committed to their success, as much as our own.

Add value to you daily – Each day, we should be thinking about the people we partner with. What might they be facing that day? Are there ways we can help them? Are there things we are learning that they could benefit from? Small, daily, value-adding acts create a long-term bond.

Resource you – Are we making it easier or harder for people to work with us? Are there resources we have that we can share with them? As you look at your daily agenda, who will you be meeting with, and how can you make their job or life a little easier?

Tailor my services to meet your needs – When I was young, I was always attracted to gadgets. I would show my dad the “All-In-One” tools that were advertised on TV. My dad’s comment was always the same, “If it does all those things, it doesn’t do any of them well.” Our services to our partners must be tailored to their needs. A one size fits all approach doesn’t fit well.

Never violate the trust you have in me – Trust is gained over time and can be lost in a moment. Enough said!

Exceed your expectations – Remember the difference between ordinary and extraordinary is just a little extra. In a world full of mediocrity, it’s not hard to be extraordinary; just do a little more than is expected, and you will always exceed expectations.

Respect our relationship and work to grow it – Whether it’s a personal or long-term customer relationship, it’s very easy to take people for granted. We need to respect and appreciate the people we partner with and actively work on growing the relationship. We need to pursue these relationships with the same energy level we used when we were winning them over.

Remember, if you want to grow, the best way is with a partner. Why not be a great partner. Have a great week!