Where do I fit in this world? Part 2
People who live in your Community
First, let me start off by addressing what I mean by the word ‘community’.
For me, a community is not defined through its size, because a community can be a whole city, country, or the planet. But it can also be your family, your football team, your church group, or your Fortnite squad. To me, a community is a collection of people with shared interests, beliefs and morals who support one another.
Now, as we talk about communities, I believe every single person has a part to play within their community, whether they are doing so consciously or subconsciously.
I believe it is also worth adding what a close friend of mine has recently shared with me which was “It takes a village to raise a person”. With that being said, if the village has a strong set of ideas around being and acting as a community, then that person will grow up and share their time, energy and effort in developing and maintaining that community.
Being on top of that skyscraper, I thought about what types of people do we need in a community to allow the community to thrive and how can every person contribute to the development of their community. There are 3 types of people that live in your community which are: Leaders, Builders, and Connectors.
Community Leaders — These are your Presidents, Prime Ministers, Faith Leaders, Captains, Members of Parliament, Parents, Headteachers,
The Community Leaders lead through example by practising courageous acts of kindness, integrity, judgement & decision making, charisma, communication, cooperation and focus. They are the first ones to take on new challenges and allow their community to see that failing is not a bad thing, but part of the learning experience. They are there to inspire others to keep moving forward, to have difficult conversations, to make decisions that will affect their whole community and to build the culture of their community.
Community Builders — These are your Doctors, Lawyers, Policy Makers, Builders, Innovators, Suppliers, Teachers, Parents, Scientists, Life Coaches,
The Community Builders are there to provide the time and create the resources needed to maintain and improve the standard of living and existing for their people. They are not always thanked for their selfless acts that allow the community to keep moving but their contributions to society do not go unnoticed as their efforts have created our houses, transport, medicine, laws, schools, and a whole lot more. They are the building blocks that allow our society to function properly.
Community Connectors — These are your Event Coordinators, Chefs, Musicians, Artists, Store Owners, Parents, BBQ Hosts, Comedians, Public Transport Operators
The Community Connectors are the ones that bring the people in their community together through emotions, both in the good and bad times and access. They welcome their people with open arms, open homes, and open resources, sometimes despite not having much to offer themselves. Their warmth, kindness and generosity encourage their community to grow from 2 people to 20 people. They often display their love and affection in many different forms which supports the community to not only develop on a collective basis but also allows the individuals within the community to develop on an individual basis.
I wholeheartedly believe that every single person has a part to play within their community. With that thought, all it takes is for the individual to figure out their skill set and apply it within their group. This is how you can figure out a small part of the purpose you have on this planet.
If you are a great communicator and openly involve people on subjects like science, video games, sports, or politics to your group during drinks, then you are a Connector because you are bringing people together. If you are great at building houses, investment portfolios, or mending broken bones then you are a Builder because you keep the world operational. If you are comfortable in carving the way for new ideas with the understanding that you can and will fail 9 times out of 10, then you are a Leader because you give belief to others to think and act differently.
Can you be a Leader, Connector and Builder in one?
I believe you can. Some examples of the 3 in 1 type that I can highlight are:
- Bill Gates (Microsoft, Gates Foundation),
- Elon Musk (SpaceX, Tesla, SolarCity),
- Tony Robbins (Life Coach, Author),
- Muhammad Yunus (Social Entrepreneur, Nobel Peace Prize Winner),
- Mark Zuckerberg (Facebook).
If you know of any individuals whom you believe are Leaders, Builders and Connectors, please let me know as I would love to learn more.