I stood in a room with 45 leaders on Monday.
I had just walked them through a thinking exercise. Then I asked them to turn to one person and connect.
Something shifted.
The room came alive. Voices rose. You could feel the energy in your chest. A real buzz.
Honestly, it was hard to pull them back. (I just bought a little chime for exactly this. Shouting over 45 fired-up people does not work.)
This was a workshop for Covelli Enterprises, the largest Panera franchise in the country. And here is what I keep noticing.
The teaching matters. The exercises matter. But the real power shows up in the connection.
I saw it again the next day.
My Cohort 3 group hit week four. For the first time, we broke into one-on-one rooms. I bounced between them and listened. The dialogue was rich. Real. The kind that does not happen when you are moving fast.
It reminded me of something I need to hear often.
This work is not about me. It is about building the container. The space where people grow and connect.
So here is your question this week.
How can you become a connector?
Maybe it is not even about you connecting. Maybe it is about creating the space for others. The dinner table where a real conversation can happen. A walk with your spouse. A walk with your kid.
For us lately, it has been tennis and pickleball. Nothing serious. Just room to laugh and be together.
And do not forget the connection with yourself.
For the last few weeks, I have been getting sunlight first thing. A walk. A little stillness. Before the workout. Before the work. I am writing this on one of those walks right now.
It has been a game changer.
We move fast. There is some good in the urgency, and I will not take that from you. But there are also moments made for something deeper. Human to human.
I feel blessed to do this work. And the truth underneath it is simple. We were made to connect.
After all, we are human beings. Not human doings.
So, this week, slow down to speed up.
Be with the ones you love. Be still with yourself.