Read the introduction to Chapter 7 of The New Generation Leader. Interested in reading more? Pick up your copy at NewGenerationLeader.com!
In the middle of the night, imagine disaster strikes. Say your house catches on fire (been there, done that). Who do you call?
Research indicates we have fewer close confidants than decades before.
What changed?
Instead of lamenting the changing dynamics of our day, let’s think about how to resist the tendencies of the world around us.
In Vital Friends, Tom Rath from Gallup lays out specific roles and types of friends we all need to have. The book lays out 8 types of friends, each helping us fulfill different roles as champions, advisors, supporters, and encouragers.
In different seasons of my life, I have held different combinations of friends. Some friends came as a result of work environments or geographic proximity, others came from educational circles or boards on which we served together.
As jobs change, we make moves, seasons of life move us around, the people around us change. And for me, I am focused on mission and vision, so developing these strong friendships did not sit as the highest priority. I had a small, close circle, but as the seasons of life changed, the circle grew smaller and smaller.