People who connect well connect on four levels. These four levels move from the visible to the invisible realm, from the surface to the core, from the small moment to the cosmic one.
We all play on all of these levels all the time. Thing is, most of us don't play with any measure of consciousness. We don't play the levels, the levels play us. They define every interaction we have. In Infectious, author Achim Nowak details these four levels of connection, each containing a set of tools that will help anyone better engage with others:
1. The Talk Level: the essential skills to creating meaningful conversations. How to notice and match the communication signals of those with whom you engage. A lack of finesse at the Talk Level is a deal-breaker in any conversation. When we don't play well at this level, we never get to taste the richer levels of connection.
2. The Power Level: how to harness your own personal power. People who connect well have a conscious and helpful relationship with their own power. They also play well with the power of others. They enjoy power rather than fear it.
3. The Intent Level: how to show up alert, with purpose and full awareness of your goals. Great connectors show up alert with a clear purpose. They don't just fall into conversations, they help shape them with conscious intent. When we don't play well at the Talk and Power levels, our Intent will be thwarted and derailed.
4. The Energy Level: the heart and soul level at which connections happen, personal energy makes for the deepest and most lasting connections. Energy is the heart and soul level at which connections either do or do not happen. Without personal energy--energy that vibrates within us and viscerally touches others--our ability to connect will always be constrained. If energy is to have form and impact, it needs to be supported by our ease with the preceding three levels.
Infectious connections happen in that magical moment when the conversation skills, sense of personal power, intent, and energy of two people converge. You will find many tools in Infectious that you can put to practice immediately. Any small change you make in how you play in any of the levels of connection will affect the dynamic of a relationship, be it professional or personal.
Source: Achim Nowak: Infectious: How to Connect Deeply and Unleash the Energetic Leader Within