It is a well-researched and known fact today that 150 is about the maximum number of people with whom humans can have an active relationship. To have such a relationship, you have to be able to see things from another person’s perspective. You have to be able to collaborate and help that person without regard to how it will benefit you. You have to believe that helping and caring for that person will bring genuine delight to both of you.

To be truly helpful, you have to have a sense of your friend’s principles, values, and interests. If the interests involve actual needs, it’s even better. Recently, a friend from long ago contacted me to see if I would drop by his office to get an update on his work and life. We had a wonderful time catching up and rekindling our relationship. He needed some advice, and I gladly offered it. Soon a deeper friendship developed, and, later, a nice business relationship was formed.

I like to believe that re-engaging after many years with the sole purpose of relationship leads to far better results than orchestrated attempts to unite. When we engage with others without conscious regard for what they can do for us, we have a much better chance of achieving an exciting and rewarding result.

150 active relationships may seem like a lot, but we should consider each one very precious.

Ask yourself what you can do for a friend today.

Here are a few business and life tips to think about:

Business Tips

• Want to be an expert in something? There is no substitute for time, energy, or effort. Repeat: there is no substitute.
• Don’t wait to get to ‘perfect’ in your project. You can’t afford perfect, nor can your clients. What you want is excellence.
• Make your service so good that the value of what you do becomes absolutely indispensable to your customers.
• Bright people often assume that others know exactly what they’re saying. Don’t assume this. Be confident, but be clear in speech and action.
• When in doubt about hiring someone, don’t. Test the person. Do background checks. Call references. Don’t take unnecessary risk.

Life Tips

• Patience is a virtue worth developing. It forces us to relax within a normally hectic schedule. Calm settles storm.
• There is no substitute for time. Time heals. Time matures. Time refines. Take time to manage your time, and your life.
• Do something for someone today who doesn’t expect it. It can be a small thing. It’s OK. You’ll make someone happy, and yourself, too.
• We need to spend more time taking care of our priorities in life, not the busy work that stifles our creativity and saps our energy.
• You are not defined by the challenges faced in life, but rather, by how you handle them.

Tags: Advice, Business Tips, Developing Leaders, Friends, Leaders, Leadership, Leadership Skills, Learning, Life Tips, People, Personal Development, Relationships