People work best together when they know and trust each other.   So an important leadership function is to build social capital or  social relations that have productive results.\n\nWhat exactly is social capital?  Fundamentally it is:\n

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  • about how people act together
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  • the goodwill others have toward us
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  • the number of people that can be expected to provide support and the resources those people have at their disposal
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  • the brokerage opportunities in a network
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  • a web of cooperative relationships between people to resolve issues
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  • existence of informal values or norms shared among members of a group that allows cooperation between them
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\nLeadership training and company events are good ways to accomplish this. Why do it? Social capital translates to economic capital. Participants not only develop skills but they also have a chance to nurture relationships with peers and other leaders in the organization. An investment in building social capital will lead to greater collaboration, innovation and profits.  \n\n \n