I had the opportunity to revisit Malcolm Gladwell’s runaway best seller, “The Tipping Point” last week, thanks to Parin Patel’s excellent summary article. The article got me thinking about where my talents are best suited, and what role I can most effectively play in the lives of those around me. So here’s my question to you:
Are you a connector, a maven, or a salesperson? Are you more than one?
In other words, do you connect people to each other, to facts and ideas, or do you thrive on convincing people of value of said facts or ideas? I think it’s important to know where your natural interests are, so you can focus on maximizing them. You’ll be better at it and you’ll enjoy it more, meaning you’ll be more likely to follow through on your commitments. (Which, as we discussed in Tim Sander’s latest, Today We Are Rich) is a sadly scarce commodity.
Don’t get caught up in trying to be something you’re not. All three roles are important, as Gladwell clearly points out:
“Mavens are data banks. They provide the message. Connectors are social glue: they spread it.
But there is also a select group of people – Salesmen – with the skills to persuade us
when we are unconvinced of what we are hearing, and they are as critical to
the tipping of word-of-mouth epidemics as the other two groups.”
The Tipping Point, page 70
How do you contribute to the spread of a good idea?
