Somehow, I found myself looking at Ryan Reynolds’ LinkedIn profile (though I can’t tell you how I ended up there!).
Being a fan, I was curious about what his profile would look like.
(Deadpool, anyone? The Proposal! What’s your favorite Ryan Reynolds movie?)
He’s been an actor for as long as I can remember. What else is there?
It turns out, quite a bit!
The first thing that caught my eye is the number of business ventures he has either founded or is involved in that are not directly related to acting.
They include a gin distillery, a telecom company, an advertising platform, and a professional soccer team, among a few others.
Ryan Reynolds isn’t “just” an actor. He’s an entrepreneur.
My perception of him was too narrowly focused.
He is a multi-faceted individual with broad and varied interests and a diversified skill set that extends beyond his ability to act and make people laugh.
Then I started to wonder, “Where else are my perceptions of others off-base?” and “How does that impact my relationship with them?”
Whether you’re self-employed or in an organization, you more than likely work and interact with a wide array of people. Here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- What perceptions do you have of people?
- Are those perceptions accurate?
- How do those perceptions affect the relationship?
Connection is one of the most powerful anchors of the Leadership Fluency framework. The most successful leaders I know realize the value and importance of building a community around them.
They don’t try to shoulder the burden alone or figure things out in a vacuum. They connect with their teams, peers, managers and sponsors, mentors, external colleagues, and trusted advisors.
To do this effectively, you need to broaden the aperture of the lens with which you view people.
Your call to action is to spend time getting to know someone you work with on a deeper level. See where you might not have a fully formed or accurate perception of them. You get bonus points if that person is someone you have a challenging relationship with. 😊
