No of us ever get where we are without a lot of help. Parents, spouses, teachers, mentors, friends, drinking buddies, fishing buddies, whatevers. We all have help. Some are more special than others and help us take our lives to the next level (yes, lives – not just careers or marriages or inner peace).
Stan Lee (of comic book fame) gave us the quote “With great power comes great responsibility.” This is the same thing but humanized.
Each and every one of us owe it to ourselves and our personal helpers to give back. Brokers are responsible for teaching their clients, training the next generation and ensuring the best solution possible. Consultants should show patience with youth, openness to new ideas (yours were once new if you recall) and slaps upside dense heads when experience was needed over raw talent. Managers…..well you all get the point.
Take some time to give back. Giving back is the same as networking but more powerful. The relationships you get in pure networking are tenuous at best and not built on solid foundation. A relationship built on mutual respect and teaching will last forever. An education is the one thing in life that no one can ever take away from you. Those experiences are who we all are.
Success is not about the individual – it’s about the community (or tribe if you follow Seth Godin). Don’t forget it.