The key is to understand the story and the associated people, because
there can be a danger if community devolves into tribalism.

 I have written of energy vampires. I’ve even recorded a song about these dastardly beings who “suck the air right out of the room.”

In his book The Power of Purpose Richard J. Leider delineates the attributes of the people who help us discover our best talents and skills. They can provide, if you will, an antidote to energy vampires.  He encourages us to surround ourselves with “people [who] have three primary characteristics: their face lights up when you come in the room, they listen to you, and they have few (i.e., no) plans for your improvement!”

These souls help us grow and find ourselves. We become the best of our capabilities.  Leider found in his research that nutritious people can help us “align our energies around our true priorities.” They help us connect to our purpose. In fact, when we have a community of nutritious people, the entire group can lift itself up.

As David Brooks said in The Second Mountain, “A community is, in part, a group of people organized around a common story.”  The key is to understand that story and the associated people, because there can be a danger if community devolves into tribalism. As Brooks found in his work, “Tribalism is community for lonely narcissists.”

Pause for a moment today and think of the nutritious people in your life who help you and your community grow in a purpose that embraces and fosters virtue. For whom are you a nutritious person? How do you know?

Video Recommendation of the Week

Richard Leider found three themes related to purpose when he asked people what they would do differently if they could live their lives over.  Perhaps your nutritious people can help you identify and commit/recommit to your purpose.

My latest book, Community as a Safe Place to Land (2019), (print and e-book) is available on Amazon.  More information (including seven free podcast episodes that spotlight the seven core values highlighted in the book) at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

Check out my book Stories about Teaching, Learning, and Resilience: No Need to be an Island (2017). It has been adopted for teaching, learning, and coaching purposes.  I will be conducting (September 2019) a half-day workshop for a community college’s new faculty onboarding program using the scenarios in this book. Contact me if you and your team are interested in doing the same.  The accompanying videos would serve to stimulate community-building conversations at the beginning of a meeting.

My podcasts can be found at The Growth and Resilience Network®  (http://stevepiscitelli.com/media-broadcast/podcast).

You will find more about what I do at www.stevepiscitelli.com.

©2019. Steve Piscitelli
The Growth and Resilience Network®