At NJBIA’s 5th Annual “Women Business Leaders Forum: Owning Your Success,” much of the discussion was centered on owning your power, owning your future, owning your success, owning your influence, and ultimately owning your relationships.
Throughout the day, the keynote speakers, the Ted Talk-style presenters and the session panelists all shared their experiences at owning their success.
The focus on building relationships hit home for me.
Coincidently I had recently seen a documentary on the social status of hyenas. The point was raised that the power of the alpha leaders is often the result of the number of relationships the hyena has within the group. So it appears that whether it is the human/corporate world or the wild world of nature, relationships are the foundation of our success in life. Investing in the building of meaningful connections can lead to important outcomes.
Research clearly demonstrates that relationships bring very specific rewards. Two of these seem most critical. First there are the obvious emotional benefits, as relationships result in happy interactions that can be professionally rewarding and supportive, while also personally fun and enjoyable. Additionally, relationships provide healthy advantages. In fact, the benefits of social relationships impact a wide range of well-being situations, from something as simple as reducing the chances of catching a common cold to situations as complicated as surviving a heart attack. After all, most of us have experienced the benefits of venting to our close friends when we are stressed!
So when you set out to “own your own success” – do not overlook the critical role professional business relationships and personal friendships can play for you!
