Yesterday, my coach trainer, Jerry Graham recommended a book to me.  He told me that it had to do with relational capital.  Relational Capital is the currency a leader or a coach deposits into or withdrawals from people’s lives to create growth and life change.  The premise is that you want to use this currency to your advantage with out over withdrawing or over investing.

The book is, The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John Mann.  It’s a thin book and it is written in parable form. (Two qualities I like in a book)  In the first few chapters the book seems to compare the words Go-Getter vs. Go-Giver; Stratospheric Success vs. Clout and Leverage.

One of the most meaningful excerpts so far is “Most people just laugh when they hear that the secret to success is giving… Then again, most people are nowhere near as successful as thy wish they were.”

I like this statement because it doesn’t challenge what success is, which is always up for grabs and can change from day to day.  What this statement does is challenge the motivation by which success is obtained.  As the mentor says in the story, “You’re pointed in the wrong direction.”

As a coach I admire the way the mentor in the story, The Chairman, gives the young “Go-Getter” his only condition for giving him his Five Secrets for Success.  The condition is, when he is given one of the five secrets he must immediately go out and put it to practice.  That is really awesome (for obvious reasons). 

 As leaders we need to disciple and teach with this kind of intention.  Too often we give someone a new idea, a principle to live by or a life changing truth but we don’t give them any expectations to do something with it.  Somehow we think that if we can just get our message out people will decide to grow or change all on their own.   This is not true. We need to intentionally challenge others to DO something with information that gives evidence of life change.  And we need to take responsibility to provide an environment with the right kind of support, encouragement and accountability that will assure life transformation. 

So, do I see some lessons to be learned in using Relational Capital?  Yes, but I’m also excited to see what I will learn about leading others and how I will approach success by the end of this book.