The Power of Connection

Recently I spoke at the Alberta Student Leadership Conference. During lunch on the second day of this conference I joined a group of students at a table. The atmosphere was electric! A group at one table would suddenly jump up and chant a passionate cheer, then another table would follow suit. The whole room lit up with contagious energy and power!

After the cheering ended, the student sitting across from me wistfully said “I wish the rest of the students at my school would do this. The people here get it.”

That statement hit home.

Leaders rarely fit in. People who see potential and are willing to take it forward are the visionaries, the groundbreakers, the trailblazers…. They are leaders. To break new ground or blaze trails, you have to be willing to go places people haven’t gone before. You have to step into unknown territory. You have to go first and lead.

That can be very lonely.

Being in a room of nearly 450 leaders - people who “get it” - was a powerful reminder of that for this girl. While it was incredibly empowering and uplifting for her to experience what can happen when you create an environment of shared vision and inclusivity, it was bittersweet at the same time.

We talked about this for a while and ended our lunch focused on what’s possible when leaders find “their people”. We recognized the reality that leaders often stand alone, but that they don’t have to navigate life alone - that other leaders “get it” and will be there to share your journey if you let them.

So who are YOUR people? Who “gets” what you are trying to do and supports you in your journey? Share this post with them and thank them. The power of that connection changes our world!

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