Fewer Failures, More Wins – How Connectional Intelligence Can Help You Succeed

I truly believe in the power of communities and connectional intelligence.

What do I mean by that?

While traditional intelligence (IQ) focuses on individual knowledge and cognitive ability, Connectional Intelligence is about leveraging relationships and communities to achieve shared goals, solve problems, or create new opportunities. It emphasizes the strategic and intentional use of connections to create value, drive innovation, and tackle complex challenges.

Simply put, when you combine your knowledge with others, you can accomplish great things. Sounds easy, right? Well, that’s what I aim to do with you on this platform, and in my career as a communications consultant working with teams, brands, and events.

I believe we don’t always have to take the hard route. What if I told you that you could learn from other people’s mistakes, instead of always learning from your own? That sounds better, doesn’t it?

I also believe we never really fail—we learn. However, if you are like me, sometimes I find myself in pressure situations where I don’t want to (and can’t afford to) fail. I want to succeed. I want whatever I am working on to not only work but exceed expectations. I want all the details to be accounted for. I want it to be perfect. That’s probably my competitive nature, shaped by my athletic background, speaking. Just imagine: your brand has access to a 30-second advertising spot at the Super Bowl. You wouldn’t want to fail, right?

To prepare for moments like this—or just to avoid failure—we can learn from other people’s journeys and experiences. In our digital age, the world is at our fingertips; we just need to know how to search properly and find reliable, credible sources. I am always so grateful when I find a research paper or blog article talking about a topic I want to learn more about. The same goes for books. Not only do they provide valuable knowledge, but they also guide my future research on a topic—by offering additional resources, key terms to further my research, or introducing me to leaders in specific fields. I love learning and reading, and the more I do, the more I realize how much I still have to discover. It’s pretty addictive…

By now, you must be wondering why I’m rambling about this. Well, I am talking about this because I think we should all be open to sharing our ideas, stories, and experiences. We are all different, with unique backgrounds, life stories, and ways of perceiving the world. We all have unique perspectives, and sharing our own opens up the world to new viewpoints, contributing to its richness. That’s why the most diverse teams tend to be more successful, but that’s a whole other topic for another day.

Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of working with diverse sports and entertainment brands—whether launching new ventures, campaigns, and events, or developing community engagement initiatives. I’ve also had the opportunity to work closely with professional athletes, coaches, and industry leaders to manage public relations at national and international events. After reflecting on my experiences, I realize that I have a lot of stories to tell and knowledge to share. I wouldn’t stay true to myself and my values if I kept it to myself. Something I encourage you to do as well, because I’d love to learn from you.

By sharing this information, I hope you’ll gain valuable insights and apply them to whatever you’re working on right now, whether it’s your personal brand, your organization, or any other projects you’re involved in. If I can help you achieve one goal or task more easily, my mission is accomplished.

In the upcoming weeks and months, I will cover topics such as personal branding, communication strategies, successful campaign launches, case studies, non-verbal communication, media training, and more. Hopefully, it’ll save you from a few “learning experiences” and replace them with successes. My articles will be shared on my personal LinkedIn and will also live permanently on my website.

Thank you for taking the time to read this article! My name is Marika Guerin, and I am a communications and branding consultant specializing in sports, events, and entertainment. If you’re currently working on a brand project and would like advice, I’d love to connect. You can contact me at marika.comms@gmail.com or visit my website at www.marikaguerin.com.