Relational Equity

I was in a meeting this week where a participant brought up the idea of creating Relational Equity.  They were talking specifically about how they have tried to be a good teammate to others in their organization, and how they think that has helped them to build Relational Equity with their coworkers. From their perspective, by treating others with kindness and respect, and working to offer a helping hand wherever they could, they hoped it had helped to create some Relational Equity for them so that if they ever needed some help, people would be willing to jump in and provide assistance and support for them. I thought this was a great idea and it certainly lines up with some of the reading and research I have done on the power of leading through relational authority versus positional authority. 

There is one simple facet of this idea that I want to highlight which makes Relational Equity even greater, and that is also a fundamental key when we use it in leadership and life. It's important that we remember that Relational Equity is a by-product of building good relationships with people around us, not the goal.  In other words, if we are trying to build good relationships with people around us just so we can create a bank of Relational Equity from which we can make withdrawals when we need to in the future, we are reducing our relationships to mostly being about transactions between us.  But if our priority is just building and growing strong, healthy relationships, then the Relational Equity becomes a beautiful gift we can draw on in the future, not something we expect because we worked to create it.

With that facet in mind, how are you prioritizing good, healthy relationships with the people around you? Are there particular individuals you can think of that you want to help or serve in some way, simply because you care about them and know they could use an extra hand right now? Maybe you are in a position where you need to tap into the gift of Relational Equity you have already developed with someone, but you're afraid to ask for help? Why not lean into that gift and discover that someone else may be incredibly thankful for an opportunity to be kind and generous to you and show you some love and care?

Here's to living this week in ways that help create the gift of Relational Equity with those around us!

Be Well,

Stephen

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