From the first day of school to jury duty last week, life is full of colorful connections. As I mentioned in my greeting, earlier this month I completed my certification to be a True Colors facilitator. While no one, including me, wants to be put in a box, there are certain aspects of human behavior that resonate clearly as “more like us” or “less like us”.

Throughout my life, I have been a rules girl. I thrive in a structured environment which is why I did well in school and my parents were fearful I would never get a job. As appealing as that sounded to me, after I received my undergraduate degree, I chose to work in banking and law enforcement, deciding to become a student of life instead of a lifetime student. Both fields suited me well for the same reasons I excelled in school – their structure. For some people, it’s possible to see the rigidity in all of this instead of the beauty.

Part of being a student of life means I’ve spent time trying to understand human behavior by studying me, discovering my strengths and what I do well. Most of my research came from the perspective of others – talented, kind souls that shared truths I needed to hear, although not necessarily wanted to hear. These individuals were what I refer to as the colorful connectors in my journey. Some were “like me”, enabling me to hear their message with ease. With others, our differences were great, making the language spoken seem foreign and taking me years to translate the meaning.

Frequently, I am asked how I became interested in leadership or why I feel I’m qualified to speak about the subject. The quote I use often is from Vince Lombardi, “Leaders aren’t born, they’re made. And, they’re made like anything else, through hard work.” While this quote doesn’t only apply to others, it applied to me as well. Therefore, the answer to the original question about my interest is long in length (life long) and without sharing all of the details, I learned leadership lessons from the great colorful connectors in my life through my life work and formal graduate studies. Recognizing the value of Lombardi’s statement, I discovered how to channel my energies appropriately which brings together the most important principle of Upside Thinking: We are where we choose to be. More on that next month.

Do you surround yourself with people who tell you what you want to hear? Do you listen to the people in your sphere of influence who are colorful connectors? Do you seek out strategic business partnerships that see the world just like you?

Great leaders build a vision, create commitment and understand how to bring out the best from people, which can only be done by allowing others to develop their strengths and celebrate their differences. The people closest to me often describe my personality as colorful, as my energy, enthusiasm and passion for Upside Thinking can outlast a can of Red Bull or Monster on any day. The colors in my leadership persona come from choosing connections and connectors, like that of my sister, Pamela (Happy Birthday!) that bring richness to who I am. Colorful connectors help us foster a clear leadership vision and purpose for the journey, where happiness, success and meaning are found along the way.

Did you know?

Researchers at the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC) claim that the Web now contains over 7 million unique sites! 40 % of these are public websites (content that is freely accessible by the general public) while 38 % are provisional sites (unfinished sites, server default pages etc.).

Silver was the most popular car color for luxury, full size and sports vehicles manufactured during 2003 and 2004 model years in North America.

Blue is the most popular color and it helps to lower blood pressure. It is also associated with trust (e.g. true blue) and dependability.