The new wealth is not your personal income, your bank balance, nor your stock options.

This new wealth is not your home equity, your net worth, nor your share of business ownership. 

The new wealth is you. 

This new form of wealth can be found rooted in what we all refer to as LinkedIn. But the power of LinkedIn, as an example, has to possess more than its natural 'roots.' It needs roots, soil, watering, nurturing, and attention — to grow. And that is precisely when LinkedInthe tool, will become LinkedIn, part of your valued and valuable extended professional family.

LinkedIn may be the largest professional association in the world today, but it will take you to turn it into true relationship wealth. Building relationship wealth, in turn, is what I would call‘LinkedIn-to-the-second-power.’ 

You don't do business with governments or companies, or even communities or groups. You do business with people. The people are everything. 

Without the ‘stickiness’ that comes from investing your own time, energy, and genuine interest in others, you don’t actually have a relationship with someone. You just have a contact.

In turn, you aren’t actually relationship building, you’re just networking. A ‘what do I get’business plan for life won’t work. 

Think about who shows up to a traditional ‘networking reception.’ Folks who all have basically one thing on their mind — what can you do for me? They are all selling. 

With rare exception, these networking receptions turn into a sea of people handing business cards to people, who are in turn trying to hand a business card back to them. Everyone basically waiting for their turn to talk, to sell, to whatever. All of that is fine, but it’s not busin
ess. And it is not how real business gets done. 

Read, share and comment on the complete article at LinkedIn Influencers here.

John Hope Bryant is the founder, chairman and CEO of Operation HOPE and Bryant Group Companies, Inc. Magazine/CEO READ bestselling business author of LOVE LEADERSHIP: The New Way to Lead in a Fear-Based World (Jossey-Bass), and is the only 2010-2012 bestselling business author in America who is also African-American. His newest book, due out May, 2014, is HOW THE POOR CAN SAVE CAPITALISM, and will be published byBerrett Koehler Publishing).

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