By Merryn Tinkler, LV Program Speaker

Reciprocity is key to any business relationship. It is important that all business partners feel like the relationship is of mutual benefit and that they feel nurtured.

Teams are by nature synergistic. We rely on each other and together build something that is greater than the sum of its parts.

Working with passionate people is hard. Working closely with people is hard. It is constant work. Sometimes hard decisions have to be made that not everyone is on board with. Sometimes we all have to suck it up and trust each other that we are actually after the same end result.

Support, transparency and communication are not always as easy to model, as they are to theorise about. Most people by nature want to give back – that is the nature of being. We all want to feel like we can contribute.

Relationship building comes down to the inherent reciprocity of human kindness and non-judgment.

And motivation…we have to really look at what is motivating our decision-making. Truly if our motivation is only about expectation, or has an ulterior motive, we will not be rewarded with reciprocity. It just does not work.

Effective communication is the foundation of real interaction with people, and authenticity is key. People can smell inauthentic people a mile off.

So the leadership muscle of reciprocity is about authenticity. Building the “of service” motivation. I want to be of service to you in an altruistic way. I want you to feel included and I want you to feel safe. It’s not to say that I don’t act with an expectation of an outcome, the expectation is definitely there. The expectation is of appreciative enquiry and the development of a true and mutual understanding.