Major life experiences shared with someone generally create a strong bond, don’t they?
Recently this idea of bonding has come up in a new best-selling book, Unbroken — Bonds of Battle by Johnny Joey Jones, a horrifically wounded veteran from the Iraq/Afghanistan war.
Joey shares great stories of warriors from the Iraq and Afghanistan wars who were blown up by IEDs, and the battles they had to overcome their pain and suffering. Joey lost both legs in an explosion that killed one of his best friends. Can you imagine, not only the physical pain, but also the emotional trauma?
Joey’s great book empathizes the power of bonding and being connected at the heart with your teammates. It parallels what we talked about in our new book Captured by Love, of how the men survived the torture in the camps and how the women survived living without knowing if their husbands and sons were dead or alive.
The Miraculous Bond of Roger and Booncy
In one of our romance stories, fighter pilot Roger Ingvalson lost his best friend Wayne Fullam, who was shot down and Missing in Action (MIA). He escorted Wayne’s wife and three sons back to be near her family in Chattanooga. Then a year later, Roger was shot down and captured and was a POW for five years. Sadly, Roger’s wife died two years before he came home, and his son had to move to New England to be with his grandparents.
At the end of the war, when we were released, Roger came home, but his friend Wayne did not and was declared KIA (Killed in Action). So, Roger went to see his friend Wayne’s widow Booncy, who had also been a friend of his wife.
Guess what? Their losses helped them to bond quickly, and they were engaged within three months and married in six months. They raised her three sons and his son as one happy family. The boys bonded also and are still close.
The Bottom Line
Bonding with others is crucial for good mental health and commitment to a team. Yet, most of us must be intentional to connect with people’s hearts. Bonding comes when we respectfully listen to them and show empathy—that they are important, and we care about them. All the research shows that leaders who care about their people and teams that care about each other have greater mission success.
So, be intentional about adapting your behaviors to show others that you care—especially those on your team at work, those who share your profession, and groups in your community – and especially with your family. LE
You can read the entire article on this topic – “How to Weave Stronger Bonds in Leadership”
#courage #leadership #accountability #employeeengagement #CapturedbyLove