One of my Deanisms, if you will, is that everyone is looking to be somebody to someone.
Look into the eyes of a mother as she stares into the eyes of her baby. It’s then there that you realize how strong that truism is. She knows that she will always matter to that child and she will always be relevant throughout the lifetime of her child. She knows that she is a somebody to someone else.
I sat down the other day to have dinner with some friends. I have some single friends and they started to talk about relationships and seeking that “special someone.†One friend couldn’t help but dream about finding that special someone and how much it would mean to her. I believe we can all relate to that.
But while we hope to find someone that will be a somebody to us, I can’t help but wonder how much of us are willing to be a somebody to someone else first? Afterall, life gives us what we give in return. Do we give as much as we are willing to receive? Do you practice what you preach? We are what we attract.
I believe these axiom matters as much in the business world as it does in life. Another Deanism of mine is “This is the business life.â€
The business world is really no different from the rest of our lives. Troubled is the person who believes his values should be one way in his personal life but should be completely different in his business life.
As we encounter a lot of people in the business world and hope that they can do us a favor and give us a break, how many of us are willing to reciprocate in kind? Are you waiting for others to do it to you first before you would respond in kind? Or do you choose to lead with kindness and know that eventually others will follow because of the example that you set?
How many of us are becoming a somebody to someone? Sometimes I wonder why some (business) people would go out of their way to help another person. We all have busy schedules and yet some of us have a natural propensity to help others and become their somebody. I didn’t have to look too far for the answer; it’s human nature for us to want to help others in need.
By helping another person land a new job, find a new contact, or get a new business lead, we validate our own humanity and the contribution we made to her life. Some may be lead to believe that such people are completely selfless but this truly is not the case. We also do it to serve our own need. It is our need to validate our own humanity by helping another that drives us. There is a great feeling knowing that we’ve left a footprint in the life of another person. We know that we played a role in their story. We were a character in one chapter of their life before the next chapter evolves.
So think about the following;
In your everyday encounters, are you becoming a somebody to someone? Did you become that somebody who made a major introduction to help that someone in need? Did you become that somebody to someone who just needed a break and you came along just at the right time? Did you become that somebody to someone who searched high and low for a solution, but you were the only one who could provide it? Did you become that somebody to someone who just needed a sympathetic ear?
Everyday in every way, we are presented with opportunities to become somebody to someone.
When you grew up, you wanted to be somebody. Well, here’s your chance.