Time for Tribe

LinkedIn has changed my life. I have met the best people in my life on LinkedIn. The majority of which I have never broken bread, crossed arms, or hugged them (I'm a hugger or was before the transplant).

If the oft misaimed Jim Rohn quote is accurate, we are the sum of whom we hang around. Then I want to lower the average. I hope that in the unlikely event that I stumble into a room where I am the "smartest." I will immediately vacate and crash another party. That is what is powerful about this platform; you can see who is on that guest list before you crash. My favorite thing is a conversation that matters- a conversation of consequence if you will. I can initiate those here. We can build antifragile tribes here.

LinkedIn is perfectly aligned for this despite the noise (see below) by relentlessly seeking thought partners who challenge us (as we challenge them) to grow. This space allows you to find mentors and thought leaders that will help shape your future or comrades in arms that will lift you and expect as much (or more) from you than you expect of yourself. In my tribe, there are a few running themes:

Follow the Smelly Goat Rule:?We value honest and frank communication. Marcus Aurelius stated, "...the straightforward and good person should be like a smelly goat— you know when they are in the room with you." Enter the two-part Smelly Goat Rule- After discussing, we help each other drop the habit of saying "to be honest with you," "honestly," or "let me be honest." Instead, seek clear and concise communication. This habit that many of us battle are incongruent with our purpose of powerful tribe building.?

Strive to do the best work in your life with others doing the same:?what it says on the tin. We are trying to get better and support each other in doing that. This means we don't sell TO each other much, but we sell FOR each other quite a bit.?

Vulnerability then Trust:?Most think you have to build trust, and then it is safe to be vulnerable. Nope. Vulnerability must come first. But it can go too far- let's lean on Epictetus's wisdom via Michael Petralia:

"Breezy self-disclosure disrespects yourself. So many people feel compelled to give voice to any passing feeling, thought, or impression they have. They randomly dump the contents of their minds without regard to the consequences. This is practically and morally dangerous. If we babble about every idea that occurs to us—big and small—we can easily fritter away in the trivial currents of mindless talk ideas that have true merit. Unchecked speech is like a vehicle wildly lurching out of control and destined for a ditch.

If need be, be mostly silent or speak sparingly. Speech itself is neither good nor evil, but it is so commonly used carelessly that you need to be on your guard. Frivolous talk is hurtful talk; besides, it is unbecoming to be a chatterbox."

This is a theme I bang my head against the most. As I don't live in "boxes." Fortunately, I'm learning to share to the comfort of my counterpart, not my own.

The aforementioned Noise-My feed is full of advice on how to beat the algo, X number of GenAI platforms I don't know about, social selling tactics, tricks, and brags (aren't your customers here, too), and creator-templated xeroxing (I appreciate Justin Welsh's honesty and journey, but can I pick out his followers within a few words of their posting). I will not knock any of those trying to make a living through LinkedIn. However, creators have to create, and sellers have to sell. After all, we are all selling something.

What am I selling?

The value of Intentional tribe building and the benefits inherent in the opportunities to have conversations that matter. Want to connect? I'm down as the calendar allows. Questions? Ask; I always answer.