Money doesn't operate in isolation. It's connected to people. So we're going to talk about the impact of relationships, we're going to spend some time talking about my favorite thing, which is social capital. What is it? And why is it important? And then we're going to talk about diversifying our networks. Why is it critical to have networks that are diverse, not just based on race. But what does it mean to have people who think very differently than we do? We're in a world where there's so much polarization, why is it important to have people who think differently in your network, and then as leaders, we need to think about the role of collaborative and collective leadership. Because in order to move our visions, along in our businesses, and in our workplaces, we have got to think about relational leadership.
I always think about Lori Beth Jones who talks about building a mission statement and I think about that for your personal elevator pitch. It should not be more than 30 seconds. It should be something that a 12 year old could memorize. And it should be something that is simple and gets to the point. The elevator pitch should not be something that tells everything. It should make people want to know more. I would encourage you to think about even building your own personal mission statement, because that can help you with moving in the direction of building your pitch. So Lori Beth Jones, who was one of my favorite authors, she has this book called 'The Path', it's Christian, but it's not preachy, which is why I like it. But in the book, she helps you think about how do you develop your personal mission statement. And I believe that every woman should have your own.
I picked mine based on characteristics and qualities that I want to embody. It wasn't based on titles. It started with people who had strong business acumen, because that was not an area that I was very strong in. I was very early in my business and would have given away everything that I had. And I needed people to help me think differently about money. So I picked people that one, had skills that I was not strong in, who had character traits that I wanted to embody more of.
Be careful with picking people because of titles. Just because people have titles may not necessarily mean that they get there because of their own merit or for whatever. Look at skills that you want to embody, or there's something about their journey that you're fascinated with, and you want to learn more from them. Or if there's wisdom that you've noticed that person has, those are the kinds of things that you pick out for your board of directors.
And don't limit it to people that are necessarily older than you. I have people that are younger than me that I've learned so much from who may not even be in the same kind of work that I'm in, but there's something that they embody, that I really am attracted to, and I can learn a lot from. So be open to the possibility of the people that you allow into that space. These are people that can teach you something. And they're not just coaches, either. You want people that are going to be there who are invested in you. And who will also be the ones who will hold you accountable. Because I will say this, I would not have gone back to school to get a PhD if it had not been for my personal board of directors who got on me and said, It's time for you to go back. And I was like, "Listen, I'm over 40 Why am I, you know, at that time, Why am I going back? I don't want to do that." And had it not been for them, and all of them, they didn't even know each other. But all of them were saying the exact same thing at the same time. You want people that are going to be invested in your success.
I end meetings by saying, "Is there someone that you think I should know? In your network? Do you think there's someone else that I could connect to that we could have some synergy with?" That always has opened the door to something even more amazing. So even when they're not going in the direction you want, remember that they are probably are connected to someone that could be the goldmine for the possibility for you.
