Chapter 47.
Soften Your Heart

He is only advancing in life whose heart is getting softer, his blood warmer, his brain quicker, and his spirit entering into living peace.

—John Ruskin, Art and Social Critic

People who really succeed in leadership and in sales transform the entire activity away from the concept of managing and selling (even though they have high respect for that) into the day-to-day concept of building relationships.

They always think in terms of their relationship with the other person: How can I make it better? How can I serve her? How can I contribute to her life today? How can I show him a demonstration of my commitment? How can I make her happier? How can I make it easier for him to access this information?

There is a continual expansion of the friendly side of the relationship. A leader knows that communication solves almost all problems. Avoidance worsens all problems.

No leadership agreement was ever made outside of a conversation. So have your conversations be vital.

Have a lot of conversations today and make them warm and comfortable. Have them all lead you to your ultimate goal.

Master teacher Lance Secretan has written 13 books on leadership, and sums up his findings this way: “Leadership is not so much about technique and methods as it is about opening the heart. Leadership is about inspiration—of oneself and of others. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. Leadership is not a formula or a program, it is a human activity that comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others.”