Don't Sink Your Success by Ignoring Relationships

To be successful in your personal or business life you have to build relationships. Not only do you have to build relationships but you have to build positive and nourishing relationships. As a leader whenever you have a team you have to have a good relationship with your team members. You have to show your team members recognition, appreciation, let them know they're doing a good job or what they need to work on. Without having good relationships your success will not last or your team will not be successful. Like the old saying goes "There is no I in team." Support and recognize your team members, without them most of the time you will not achieve the success you are looking for. People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care, this goes the same for your team. You as the leader, if you don't show your team that you care, they're not going to follow you or your vision as a leader.

Here's a short story written by John C Maxwell about relationships and how they can bring success as well as destroy success.

John Paul Jones is regarded as The Father of the American Navy, and rightly so given his heroic courage in battle and his devotion to America's struggle for independence. Yet sadly, Jones alienated himself from the country he loved, dying penniless and alone in France at the age of 45. Why did the war hero's story end so dismally? The answer is simple: John Paul Jones never valued relationships.

Talent and Temper - John Paul was born in Scotland and achieved notoriety as a 21-year old sailor, winning the respect of the ship owners, who made him a captain.

John Paul's success in Scotland was short-lived, though. Soon after being named as captain, he became enraged with a sailor and demanded that the man be whipped, resulting in the sailor's death. Although he kept his command, John Paul's reputation never recovered, nor did he learn his lesson.

A few years later, John Paul slaughtered a mutinous shipmate after a dispute over wages. Rather than stand trial for his actions, he fled to America, changing his name to John Paul Jones. Thus began a familiar trend; Jones' spectacular skill and talent would gain him renown, but then his relational incompetence would undermine the success.

A Fresh Start Runs Afoul - John Paul Jones arrived in America at the dawn of the Revolutionary War. He enlisted in the American Navy and distinguished himself as a privateer captain, preying upon British commercial ships.

Fame without Fortune - John Paul Jones' military adventures brought him to the pinnacle of his fame. In a battle on the high seas, two of his primary cannons malfunctioned and left him outgunned and outmanned against a British warship. Repeatedly battered by the guns of his opponent, Jones' ship caught fire and began to go down. Sensing victory, the British commander asked if Jones was ready to surrender, receiving the famous reply, "I have not yet begun to fight!"

Jones rallied his crew and rammed his sinking vessel into the side of the British warship, boarded it, and engaged in intense hand-to-hand combat. Jones and crew had forced the British to surrender.

Elevated to celebrity status after the improbable victory, John Paul Jones nonetheless managed to estrange himself after returning home. First, he took all of the credit for his military triumph, discounting the bravery of his men. Then, he wrote several self-promoting accounts of the battle and sent them to newspapers in America and Europe. His blatant and excessive self-promotion rankled politicians and further alienated him from those in power.

Having worn out his welcome in America, John Paul Jones left for good and spent the remainder of his days vainly chasing personal glory in the service of foreign governments.

Summary - The life of John Paul Jones is indicative of a leader with loads of talent but no regard for relationships. Self-focused and egotistical, such leaders sabotage their success by pushing away everyone in their lives. Regardless of their accomplishments, leaders never attain fulfillment until they learn to win with people.

By John C. Maxwell

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