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O P I N I O N
External engagements
Successful people will overcommit where their passion meets a purpose, where service is not a burden but a privilege.
I f you are successful, your professional life will involve engaging in industry and community organizations, and I don’t mean just attending industry functions. More than likely, you will be invited to serve on a steering committee, help to fundraise for a worthy cause, or even take the helm of a board that seeks your business advice and experience.
Stephen Lucy
When the commitment requests start arriving, do you accept them – all of them? Or do you step back and gauge the energy and focus that will be required to help? For those of us in leadership positions, we have come to accept these invitations to serve as a function of doing business in a community. Ego is one of the drivers that encourages us to jump in and get going, but ego may also be the demon that has to be fed. If you visit with other firm leaders, this is the one conversation that comes up a lot. Typically, it begins with how hectic and difficult their schedules are. Yet when you break down the discussion, it is almost always about the
extracurricular engagements that demand so much of our time. “When the commitment requests start arriving, do you accept them – all of them?” SO WHY DO WE EMBRACE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? There are benefits. Most firm leaders who embrace com- munity involvement are helping to build a better brand. External engagement in industry commit- tees often leads to a broader, more inclusive and dynamic network of contacts, too. Plus, there is
See STEPHEN LUCY, page 4
THE ZWEIG LETTER March 18, 2019, ISSUE 1288
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