As much as I tend to agree with Simon Sinek's views-and it's clear from my blogs that I follow him closely-I really liked the message in this video, particularly about the importance of honesty and integrity in building strong, lasting relationships-something I've always strived for in my own career. While I don't fully agree with his take on the experience with the realtor, the rest of his message, especially the story he shares later, really resonates with me. It's a great reminder of how honesty can build meaningful connections in both personal and professional relationships.

Fast forward to the other half of Simon's video. He talks about being honest with the people you work with. He shares a story about a client who asked him if he could handle five different tasks, and Simon gave an honest response: "I'm great at two of those things, okay at one, I can do that other one but it's not my strength, and for the last one, I'm not the right fit." Now, I'm paraphrasing, but his point is clear: honesty builds trust, and trust builds relationships that last.

For the first time in my life, I've had to look for work. A bad economy, bad timing, whatever the reason-things happen. So, there I was, doing what everyone does after being laid off: updating LinkedIn, refining my resume, and diving into the job hunt. Let me tell you, it's not easy applying for work in an already overcrowded market. The experience was a stark reminder of just how invaluable relationships are, both personally and professionally.

Some people, especially in consulting, will tell you to always say you can do it all. After all, if you want to be the go-to problem solver for your clients, isn't it better to say yes to everything? In reality, if you want to build lasting relationships that will be there when you need them most, my advice is to be honest. In my experience, like Simon's, I've always been upfront about my strengths and weaknesses.

This can be a risky play in consulting. I've been on the other side of an interview with a client who said, "We need someone who's an expert in these seven areas." My response was, "That's a tall order. I've got four of those locked down, two I can manage, but that last one isn't my thing. I'm happy to work with someone else to cover that gap, but I can't do it all." Some clients will reject you for that. And it might sting at first, but in my experience, companies that expect you to be an expert in everything are not the places you want to work. No one is an expert in everything.

Good, healthy companies want to play to your strengths and supplement your weaknesses with people who excel in those areas. That's how you build a team that complements one another and ultimately becomes far more productive and efficient.

This ties back to my core values around integrity (shameless plug: check out my other posts on integrity!). I don't like over-selling myself, and I prefer to work with people who value honesty in the same way. This has paid off in unexpected ways. When I first mentioned on LinkedIn that I was open to work, I was overwhelmed by how many people reached out, not just to offer me referrals, but to genuinely reconnect and help me find the right opportunity. Sure, there were the stereotypical recruiters and bots flooding my inbox, but it was the real, meaningful connections that stood out. People weren't just referring me because they could get a bonus-they were doing it because they believe in what I do.

As of the date of this post, I'm still looking for work. But I remain optimistic that my experience, and the strong relationships I've built throughout my career, will lead me to where I'm meant to be. The positive support I've already received reminds me that staying true to my values-honesty, integrity, and relationship-building-will get me there before long.

What about you? How do you balance honesty with the pressures of selling your expertise, especially in competitive markets? Have you had similar experiences when it comes to navigating professional relationships with integrity? Comment below and let's discuss!