Latest / Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections / Networking Unleashed: S1E59 An Interview with Alfredo Borodowski and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker

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Networking Unleashed: S1E59 An Interview with Alfredo Borodowski and Michael A Forman, Public Speaker · Networking Unleashed: Building Profitable Connections

0:16
Welcome to Networking Unleashed, Building Profitable
0:20
Connections, the show where we explore how meaningful
0:23
relationships drive powerful results in business
0:27
and in life. I'm your host, Michael Foreman,
0:31
and today we're diving into a conversation that
0:34
sits at the intersection of uncertainty, innovation,
0:38
and human connection. My guest is a thought leader
0:41
in peak performance and adaptability. Someone
0:45
who knows what it takes to lead, connect, and
0:48
thrive when the stakes are high and the future
0:52
is unclear. He's also raising a flag for what
0:56
many overlook, that in an era dominated by AI
1:00
and automation, our human relationships, not
1:03
our resumes or technical skills, may be the most
1:07
valuable asset we have. We're talking about how
1:10
to build unshakable networks in shaky times.
1:13
How to connect with purpose when everything is
1:16
changing, and how to future -proof your influence
1:21
no matter what technology does exist. If you're
1:25
looking for clarity, courage, and connection
1:27
in the face of rapid change, this episode is
1:32
in your playbook. Alfredo, how did I do? First
1:36
of all, welcome to the podcast, and introduce
1:39
yourself. Michael, it is a pleasure to be here.
1:42
You did great. Thank you. Better than my real
1:46
life. Well, I am an executive coach. I have the
1:53
pleasure of speaking internationally and I talk
1:59
on peak performance and how people can achieve
2:03
their dreams and sustain them. And I have a very
2:08
specific way that I have found. to help people
2:13
achieve peak performance, which I will share
2:17
with those listening, which I think is a little
2:21
bit different from people usually call peak performance.
2:24
And I have evidence from years and years of working
2:29
with people that this really is effective. Wonderful.
2:33
That's wonderful. I can't wait to dive into it.
2:36
So let's start. In times of extreme uncertainty,
2:48
At the end of a crisis, when you ask people to
2:53
look back and tell you what is the most significant
2:56
factor that helped them go through the crisis,
3:01
most people would answer other people. The advice
3:08
of other people the people who didn't run away
3:10
from you when you needed them, your friends,
3:13
your family, your co -workers. At the end of
3:19
life, when we look back and they ask you who
3:24
influenced you, it's a mentor, it's a teacher,
3:28
it's a parent, okay? We live in a world of things
3:33
and projects and goals and success. But the core
3:39
of who we are always comes down to the people
3:44
we relate to. That's the most profound and significant
3:48
aspect of who we are. Absolutely right. When
3:53
I think back, listen, I've owned businesses before.
3:56
I was in the military. When I think back to the
3:59
positions that I've held, I don't think about
4:02
how much money I made or anything else like that.
4:05
I think about the people that surrounded me.
4:08
and were there during adverse situations. So
4:13
it's always the people that I remember and not
4:16
the job itself. Michael, that on my former life,
4:20
although once a rabbi, you are always a rabbi,
4:24
I was a pulpit rabbi. And one of the things I
4:27
had to do, unfortunately, I had to be at funerals
4:32
and give a eulogy. And always the eulogy came
4:38
down to relationships. And people were always
4:41
remember by helping people, by their motivation,
4:47
by what they build with others, by being a father,
4:52
a mother, a brother, a friend. Okay. Nobody came
4:56
and gave eulogies about how successful the person
4:59
was and how many cars and how many homes. Okay.
5:02
Or how many vacations the person. There is a
5:06
saying, a good name is like oil in the Jewish
5:10
tradition. Oil is precious, it's pure. A good
5:14
name is like oil, and that's what we should aspire
5:17
to. And that, by the way, is peak performance.
5:20
Peak performance is when you become the best
5:24
of who you are. Okay, let me just move on. You've
5:28
worked in high -pressure environments. How do
5:32
you adapt quickly? while still building and maintaining
5:35
meaningful relationships. Because adaptability,
5:40
paradoxically, is the art of maintaining your
5:44
core. In the world of... I lost you. Yes, because
5:51
this is counterintuitive, Michael. Adaptability
5:54
is the capacity of maintaining your core through
6:01
change. Usually people used to talk about change
6:05
management. Okay. And that was the theory in
6:10
consulting. We bring somebody who is an expert
6:14
on change management as if change can be managed.
6:19
That's a contradiction. Change cannot be managed.
6:22
Change is change. Okay. What we can do when we
6:27
talk today is adaptability instead of change.
6:31
And the way I see adaptability is that you give
6:35
the people working with you at your team, at
6:37
your corporation, at your foundation, you give
6:40
the gift of who they are at their core. Once
6:46
they know who they are at their core and you
6:48
strengthen who they are internally, then they
6:51
can withstand, change, and adapt. It's not...
6:57
Change or adaptability is not the process of
7:01
making the people around you shape themselves
7:04
according to the changes taking place. It is
7:10
giving them the tools to remain the best they
7:14
are through the change process. Very good. What's
7:21
one strategy for networking that becomes more
7:25
important? not less, when everything feels uncertain
7:29
or unstable? Well, look, I am not a natural networker.
7:37
I am a guy who likes to advise people. I am a
7:43
consultant, a speaker. Those are very lonely
7:46
activities. And it's actually a kind of activity
7:51
that you parachute at the place, do your job,
7:54
and goodbye. Okay, then I had to train myself
7:59
to network. I am also an introverted. Okay, at
8:03
parties, I go to the corner, sit down and with
8:08
a glass of something and looking at my watch.
8:12
Then one thing that I do is each time I come
8:16
to my office, the first hour and a half I network.
8:19
When I am fresh, okay, with all my energy. I
8:25
begin my day networking. I mostly network at
8:29
LinkedIn. That's my natural environment. Professional.
8:33
I have made so many connections. And the key
8:38
is to be honest. People know today, after a second,
8:44
your first two words, you are trying to have
8:48
an open conversation or you're looking for something.
8:52
although we are we are all looking for something
8:54
and that's basically the implicit thing there
8:58
are ways and ways to look for something there
8:59
is way to look for something out of a real connection
9:03
and because you care about somebody else and
9:06
you look for advice and give advice and there
9:09
are ways in which basically you are a salesperson
9:11
selling yourself and that doesn't go far being
9:15
authentic being authentic is the first thing
9:19
and what i say about networking, as I'm sure
9:23
you do as well, is to network with what's called
9:27
a servant's heart. It's you're looking to give,
9:31
not receive. And if you're authentic, you're
9:35
looking to give and not receive, then you don't
9:38
come across as salesy or anything else like that.
9:42
Then I have a formula for peak performance. I
9:45
want everybody to listen because this is the
9:47
formula and the very short formula. And basically,
9:51
I haven't seen it anywhere else. I got to this
9:55
formula after helping a lot of people and reading
9:58
a lot and testing it. This is the way it goes.
10:03
Positivity plus purpose equals peak performance.
10:09
Positivity plus purpose equals peak performance.
10:15
Now, what is purpose? Okay. The definition of
10:20
purpose is giving the best of you for the benefit
10:27
of others. That is the definition of purpose.
10:31
Usually people confuse purpose with goal. Goal
10:36
is an extrinsic game. It's the end of the journey.
10:41
It's extrinsic. It's strategic. Purpose comes
10:47
before the goal. As we say, purpose first. And
10:53
purpose is the best of what you have for the
10:57
benefit of others. If you do that, then it comes
11:01
back to you in what we call fulfillment. And
11:06
fulfillment comes in different ways. Gratitude,
11:08
which is when somebody comes to you and say,
11:11
you did so well for me. That's the greatest thing
11:14
that could happen to you. That somebody else
11:16
acknowledges you. for what you've done for them.
11:20
The other one is growth. When the person doesn't
11:23
come to say thank you, but you see them growing,
11:29
like your kids or somebody at your company, okay?
11:33
And you see their growth. And the third one is
11:36
inner growth, okay? How you grow by helping others.
11:40
Which percentage is inner growth? 10%. Most of
11:45
our growth of a person, 90 % happens in relationship.
11:51
10 % is the fulfillment, which is internal. But
11:56
that's the formula. Positivity and purpose equals
12:01
peak performance. And that is, it resonates with
12:06
me and hopefully everybody else. The relationship
12:10
factor, the giving factor, if everybody were
12:14
to network and be to get along that way, I think
12:19
the world would be a much better place. That's
12:21
our small corner of the world. Let me just change
12:25
this conversation to a little AI conversation.
12:30
What soft skills tied to networking and communication?
12:35
will become critical differentiators in an AI
12:39
-powered workforce. Okay. Look, I'm not sure
12:42
about how to define it, but I tell you what I
12:47
think is happening. Okay. I think that human
12:52
connection is going to become a luxury. Okay.
13:00
Okay. As it's going to become a luxury, it's
13:05
going to be more wanted. Right. And more precious
13:11
because it's going to be a lack of it. Okay,
13:16
then technology is going to increase and real
13:20
human connection is going to decrease. And the
13:23
companies which are going to succeed in the long
13:28
term are the companies who are going to value
13:31
the human connection. And those who want to take
13:36
the shortcut of replacing humanity with technology
13:41
may win in the short term, but they will lose
13:47
the most important thing, which is the creativity,
13:50
the empathy, and the motivation that only humans
13:55
can bring. Then when we talk about human resources,
13:58
by the way, it's interesting. Maybe I never liked
14:03
resources because we are not resources people.
14:07
OK, I don't like this term that, you know, the
14:11
department that works with people is called human
14:13
resources. But I like now the word human. And
14:17
I think that the word human for human resources
14:19
is going to become more and more crucial. now
14:22
and in the years to come, because the main task
14:25
of human resources is going to be actually humanity.
14:28
And within that, what I recommend I work with
14:34
is with positive psychology, which is the tool
14:38
and the science I use when I work with companies,
14:41
positive psychology, which is the science of
14:44
flourishing and strengths. And I think that...
14:51
Using methodologies like positive psychology,
14:54
we have to strengthen the humanity and core of
14:57
people as we go into the AI revolution. Okay,
15:04
so since we're on the subject of in the future,
15:09
how can individuals future -proof their careers
15:14
by intentionally building the right kinds of
15:17
relationships now? Well, look, relationships
15:22
are a process. Okay? And relationships are about
15:27
persistence. Okay? On the relationship world,
15:32
I always talk about you never know. Okay? The
15:37
best things that happened to me with people were
15:40
the unexpected ones I didn't know. A person that
15:44
a year later, I meet again, or I contact again.
15:49
or they contact me from an occasional conversation
15:52
I had a year ago. Okay? And that's magical. It's
16:00
magical when people tell me, Alfredo, I remember
16:04
this keynote speech you gave, or this workshop
16:07
you gave, and changed actually my view of things.
16:10
We talk about fulfillment. Do you remember fulfillment
16:13
with somebody? It means you're very good at what
16:16
you do. Look, you are not good at what you do.
16:23
At the end of the day, people make you good at
16:25
what you do. Because at the end of the day, it's
16:28
about serving others. Okay, then I am not sure,
16:32
Michael, how good I am at what I do. I do it,
16:38
I am a professional, and I care about what I
16:41
do, and I try to learn every day. Okay? But...
16:47
How good I am is going to come from the reaction,
16:52
not the judgment, but the reaction in terms of
16:55
the impact I have on people. Because it's not
17:00
about my ego, although I have a healthy one.
17:04
It is ultimately about how I serve people. You
17:08
can be a consultant and a keynote speaker. If
17:13
you don't go on stage or to a corporation with
17:18
the aspirations that when you leave, you're going
17:23
to leave behind something that is going to help
17:26
people achieve what they want. True, true, very
17:32
true. Okay. In times of change, how do high performers
17:38
stay connected? Not just to people, but to purpose
17:43
and vision. I want to focus for a second. I spoke
17:49
about purpose. I want to talk what I mean by
17:51
positivity. The first part. Okay. It is amazing,
17:56
but research shows that 70 % of Americans are
18:01
blind to their inner strengths. There is an epidemic
18:07
of strength blindness. It's amazing. We know
18:18
from positive psychology that there are 24 strengths
18:21
that everybody has. Those are strengths, 24,
18:27
which are found across time and geography, from
18:31
the Greeks to the Eskimos. There are 24 because
18:38
there are a lot of strengths, but these 24 are
18:41
repeated throughout humanity, history, and geography.
18:45
And everybody has them, but people do not know
18:48
they have them. And they don't know which one
18:50
they prefer, which is worse. Then we have this
18:56
blindness. And if you would know your top five,
19:03
of the 24, your top five, we know from research
19:07
also that your capacity to flourish will be nine
19:13
times higher. And if you apply them, we know
19:19
from research that your capacity to flourish
19:22
will be 18 times higher. In other words, 70 %
19:29
of Americans are working, living way below their
19:39
capacities by ignorance of what they already
19:42
have, which is a shame. It makes me so upset
19:48
because I go to corporations, I go to teams,
19:50
and I do the question, tell me what your top
19:53
strengths are. They don't know. I never thought
19:58
about it. I don't know. I said, will you call
20:02
a plumber to your home who doesn't bring a toolkit?
20:06
You're going through life without your five top
20:09
strengths toolkit. Then the first thing I do
20:14
when I work with executives or when I work with
20:18
corporations or with foundations, the first thing
20:22
we do is a strength. assessment a positive psychology
20:26
strength assessment everybody gets the 24 strengths
20:30
in order of hierarchy we have all of them and
20:34
we can use all of them but the time the top five
20:38
is where you feel more authentic energetic and
20:43
motivated and once you know those top five people
20:47
thrive because they go from using them unintentionally
20:54
to applying them intentionally and that actually
20:58
as i said before adaptability is the capacity
21:02
to maintain your core through change then once
21:07
you know the core five strengths you can go through
21:10
crisis and through change because you can maintain
21:14
your core okay that kind of brings us to our
21:17
next question of What are the key differences
21:23
between someone who survives uncertainty and
21:27
someone who thrives from relationship -building
21:31
standpoint? Because surviving means that you
21:39
focus on the moment, you narrow your vision.
21:45
If a tiger is coming now into this room, All
21:51
my attention is going to be on the tiger. That
21:56
will be very helpful either to fight against
21:59
the tiger if I am unwise or to run away. Okay,
22:05
then strategies of survival are good for the
22:10
moment, poor for the long run. Strategies of
22:16
growth. are maybe not so good in the immediate,
22:22
but build and create for the future on the long
22:29
term. Once you know your top strength, instead
22:36
of being reactive, you are so solid internally
22:41
that it's almost like having an armor. And you
22:49
are more immune to the fluctuations that present.
22:55
And as you are more immune, paradoxically, you
22:59
are more creative. And then you adapt better.
23:03
I believe that. I truly believe that. That's
23:07
where all of our creativity comes from, all different
23:09
points of our life. But that is a very important
23:14
aspect of what you're speaking about. How do
23:17
you see trust and empathy evolving as currency
23:22
in business, especially as technology accelerates
23:27
everything else? Can you repeat the beginning?
23:30
How do you see trust and empathy evolving as
23:34
currency in business, especially as technology
23:37
accelerates everything else? No, everything is
23:41
trust and empathy. Look, what is the main...
23:45
People see an AI revolution and there is fear
23:51
that we are going to lose our jobs, that we are
23:56
going to be replaced by technology, that we are
23:58
going to become obsolete. It is true that part
24:05
of the solution is to have reassurance from corporations,
24:09
from the government, that we are safe. You are
24:13
not going to get that, by the way. That's an
24:17
illusion. Okay. Then what you, the only thing
24:24
that is going to carry you through those moments
24:28
is empathy and trust. Empathy and trust. And
24:35
companies, companies who are going to work on
24:38
that are going to motivate, we know this from
24:43
positive psychology, gratitude. Optimism, motivation,
24:47
complementing your employees are the most important
24:53
aspects for growth and success. There is one,
25:00
people who are listening, they need to remember
25:04
one thing. On a nutshell of what I am talking
25:07
about, I would say the following. We need to
25:10
move from the culture of fixing to the culture
25:14
of nourishing. Okay. We're in a culture where
25:19
we are trying to fix each other. In education,
25:23
the teachers are looking at what the student
25:27
doesn't do well. He's not good at math. We have
25:30
to solve that. But the kid maybe is great at
25:33
art and he's going to be an artist. We have to
25:36
maximize what the person is doing great, the
25:38
five top strengths. Quarterly reviews are corporations.
25:45
What you are not doing great, we need to fix.
25:48
It's true, we need to do the basic things right,
25:53
but the manager's job is actually to elevate
25:56
what the person is doing great according to the
26:01
keys of her strength. We need to move from the
26:05
culture of fixing to the culture of nourishing.
26:08
That's what positive psychology teaches. We focus
26:12
on... What it works, we have this obsession.
26:17
And this comes, by the way, from the origins
26:20
of consulting at corporations. Consulting originally
26:24
at corporations and businesses was borrowed from
26:28
the medical field. Some people don't know that
26:33
organizational consulting and organizational
26:35
management came to borrow its model. from the
26:42
medical field, and then that's why we use diagnostics
26:46
and diagnosis, okay, and reviews and all that
26:50
language. We have to do with sickness. Then our
26:54
beginning point is what's wrong. Okay, I never
26:58
bring me as a consultant very few times. They
27:01
bring me as a consultant usually when there is
27:03
a crisis. I love when they bring me as a consultant
27:07
when things are going well and now we want to
27:09
do it. Absolutely. Absolutely. Let's bring this
27:15
podcast full circle. And if someone listening
27:18
today wants to build a network that sustains
27:22
them through the next wave of disruption, where
27:25
should they start? They need to start with knowing
27:29
their four strengths, the five top strengths
27:33
of positive psychology. Okay. As I said, 70 %
27:37
of people are blind. Basically, you do not have
27:41
your top toolkit of what you are capable at your
27:47
best, then you cannot function optimally. That
27:52
blindness is unnecessary and can be dispelled
27:56
in 20 minutes. Alfredo, I am so glad you came
28:04
on the podcast today. You were a wonderful guest.
28:08
I appreciate you giving me a little backstory
28:10
about your past. And I can't imagine a better
28:15
guest to come on to tell how you are going moving
28:19
forward. So if somebody wants to get hold of
28:22
you to be coached, to be trained, anything like
28:25
that, how would they do? I can't leave your audience
28:28
without telling them how to get the top five
28:30
strengths. Then I'm going to make it so easy.
28:35
You text me. the word positive. Just text the
28:41
word positive to this number, 33777. Okay, you
28:48
just text the word positive to 33777 and you
28:54
will get a two -page of how by yourself to get
29:02
your top five strengths of positive psychology.
29:05
As simple as that. And your life will change.
29:11
Sounds beautiful. That sounds beautiful. But
29:14
how can they get hold of you? There, you will
29:17
see, I'm going to be surprised, okay? No strings
29:24
attached, okay? Those who want to go a little
29:29
bit deeper into the five trends, they can set
29:33
a meeting with no commitment with me. Okay. Just
29:36
to talk about it. Okay. And my schedule is going
29:40
to be there. Okay. I like to connect with people.
29:43
Again, it's about networking. Okay. Okay. Then
29:47
instead of sending you a connect with LinkedIn,
29:50
we can set a more intimate discussion to review
29:54
your five -step strengths and see if we can move
29:57
somewhere from there. That's perfect. Alfredo,
30:02
thank you so much for coming on my podcast. And
30:05
I wish you nothing but the best. And hopefully
30:08
I'll speak to you soon. Thank you, Michael. Thank
30:10
you, everybody. Good. Well, hold on, folks. Don't
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-U -P -K -I -D -S .org. Well, that's a wrap,
31:34
folks. A huge thank you to our special guests
31:36
for sharing such incredible insights today. And
31:40
of course, a big shout out to you, our amazing
31:43
listeners, for tuning in and spending your time
31:46
with us. Remember, networking isn't about being
31:50
perfect. It's about being present. So take what
31:53
you've learned today, get out there, and make
31:56
some meaningful connections. If you enjoyed this
31:59
episode, don't forget to subscribe, leave us
32:02
a review, and share it with someone who could
32:04
use a little networking inspiration. Let's keep
32:08
the conversation going. You can find me on Apple,
32:12
Spotify, YouTube, or my website, Michael. Remember.
32:16
Until next time, keep practicing, keep connecting,
32:20
and keep building those relationships. This is
32:23
Michael signing off. Take care and happy networking.