Hi, connector.

Connector, you are one of the most aware people in the entire room. You are warm, you are empathetic. You are usually the person who people like to talk to because you're a really good listener and you make them feel seen and heard. You are a room reader.

You may be a bit quiet at first as you're processing what's going on, and you're deeply emotionally intelligent so you see everything that's happening while people are talking, moving, or being really focused.

You're also really relatable. We feel like we can get along with you. We feel like you're easy to talk to.

You have a way of making people feel comfortable, and you also speak from the heart, which is really important. You say what you mean and you meet when you, what you say. And we love that.

We appreciate that connector. You are the person who probably in a meeting might notice, like, okay, I think half of the people recognized this, but I noticed the other half was not aware of what was going on. I could see that this person really felt valued. But this other person, I don't know.

You just see all those things and you say what you wanna say.

You say what you wanna say in a very thoughtful and aware way. When you think about people's feelings, you think about how the message is gonna be received, and not just to have a curated message, but you care about the impact of your words when you speak.

WHAT TO LEAN INTO TO:

Connectors, Here's what I want you to keep on doing.

Embrace that empathy.

Embrace that empathetic side of you that can listen and know what's going on and pay attention. It's important sometimes when people are frustrated or there's uncertainty, or when people think everything's okay, you can recognize what people need. You can be the one to bring it forward.

I want you to keep leaning into your sincerity and your stillness.

You are a person that is trusted to say what they mean. And we know that you are probably a high integrity person. You may not be the first to respond, but you know everything that's going on, and you are responding from a place of heart and a place of awareness, personal awareness, and emotional awareness of everyone.

You're also really consistent.

We can trust that you're gonna show up as you are. You're not gonna surprise us with with something that we're not expecting. You probably not the person who will take a dramatic turn for some reason — although you may be, but likely not.

And I think it's a strength to know that this is a person that we can trust to be in the space and be very present for themselves and everybody else.

WHAT TO AVOID:

What I want you not to do is try to be louder (than you naturally are) or flashy.

Every now and then, we get a loud connector, but most of the time, you're not the loudest voice in the room or the flashiest or most dramatic, and that's okay. We don't need you to do that if that is not naturally you. You don't have to be like, well, I notice that they are getting X, Y, Z, and I should probably be more like that.

Why do I say this? Because it will not work for you.

What we do is we lean into our natural strengths and we amplify them as much as possible. That may make you feel uncomfortable, and we can kind of tell that that may not be you.

Next: You don't wanna aim for unpredictability.

Remember, consistency is your strength. You're really good at that. And so I think you're trying to be spontaneous or unpredictable or Hey, I'm gonna say this thing.

That might drain you and that might stress you out. We don't want you stressed out, Connector.

And finally, this is a very, very important thing, and I stand 10 toes down that this is something that everyone needs in every space.

Do not doubt your emotional intelligence.

You probably have the most emotional intelligence in the room because you're aware, and that is something that we all need to be aware of.

You are consistent. Sometimes people might call you balanced, and that is very, very important.

WATCH OUT FOR:

Connectors, I want you to be aware of playing it too safe.

What I mean by that is sometimes you may or may not take a clear stance on something. We may hear you trying to hear and see all perspectives and see both sides, and I think it's very important to have that empathy, But we also wanna know how you really feel.

What's your real opinion?

What's your stance?

You don't have to play safe. We really wanna know that because that is gonna help. And remember, you have unique gifts that you can add to whatever situation is presented.

The next thing—and I hesitate to say this word, but I wanna say—being too soft.

And you know, I wouldn't describe you as soft, Connector. But I feel like, because you're often aware and paying attention to what everybody needs and what's happening, that we're not exactly sure where your conviction is. And you might be a very convicted connector. You might be like, Rhonda, I disagree, and here's why.

I love that. Do more.

This is exactly what I'm saying. Connection needs conviction. You need to have that conviction of like, Hey, this is right, and this is what I believe.

SPEAK WITH INTENTION™ STRATEGY:

Lastly, and I think this is something that is common with a lot of archetypes:

Over-telling stories without clear takeaways.​

You may go really, really in depth about a story or an experience, and you probably are a really great storyteller because you're giving us all the wonderful details—not in a rambly way—but just in a very comprehensive way, and I think that is important.

But if you give us a story or you give us an experience or an example, we want to hear some clear takeaways.

Examples:

I say all this to say…

Or this story reminds me of [fill in the blank].

I brought this up to say, to…

Things like that will be very, very helpful for you, Connectors.

As I said, we need you in the space. We need your presence, your stillness, your awareness. You are valuable, you are important.

Keep on doing what you're doing and being you.

— Rhonda Khan.