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In this final week covering the book Everyone Communicates, Few Connect, I covered John Maxwell’s final chapter, which expresses the fifth set of practices regarding the ability to connect, namely, connecting over the long term which requires that you “live what you communicate.”

If you are trying to influence a person, group, or an entire audience, you can connect with them on a one-time basis using the techniques and principles outlined in the rest of the book.   But if you have a long-term relationship with a group as their leader, for example, as a project manager, you need to develop a reservoir of trust.   How do you develop this?    By establishing credibility.

John Maxwell states that in the first six months of a relationship, communication overrides credibility, but after six months–credibility overrides communication.    Credibility is a currency which you need to always renew so that you are solvent; if your actions deplete it to the point that you are bankrupt, your team members will start to disconnect from you.

In order to gain credibility and trust with others, you have to first develop credibility and trust with yourself.   In the next post, I will discuss the various ways that John Maxwell suggests on how you can learn to connect with your yourself, so that you gain credibility in your eyes and so that you can trust yourself and your judgment.    If you can’t trust yourself, you can’t ask others to!

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