Stampede as a lesson in relationship building
As I sit on my deck on Canada Day, admiring the morning’s sky on the eve of The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, I am reflecting on what the next 11 days of the Calgary Stampede mean for me and for our Blue Sky City. Last year was my first Stampede. It was exciting, overwhelming, affirming and above all, community-building. This year, I think I’m going in a bit better prepared. And so here I go with a few thoughts as a Stampede sophomore.
What does being prepared for Stampede mean?
Becoming expert-level good at “Calendar Tetris” to fit all the must-attend events in each day? Skill. Drinking Old Fashioneds at 10 a.m.? Sure. Trying to resist the smell of maple syrup, pancakes and bacon EVERY morning? Definitely. Meeting influential leaders and building connections? Absolutely. Opportunities are built through conversations, introductions and generosity. The best networks are built before they’re needed. Why? Because they rest on a scaffold of trust and mutual benefit.
From introductions to deeper collaboration
A first Stampede is about introductions and welcoming with open arms and genuine curiosity: Hi? What do you do? How have the first months in Calgary been like? Let me know if can I help? These are the questions I was happy to answer at every event I attended last year. What will the questions be this year? I know I will be the one asking those questions to first-timers this year! And please seek me out in the crowd; I know how overwhelming and intimidating it can be. As a seasoned Stampeder, I expect the questions will be more “how can we work together to build? How can we leverage what we have here to make things better? How do we level up? Questions that build upon a foundation of trust. Trust relationships are Calgary’s foundation stone.
Jim Gray’s wisdom on building bridges
I am reminded of the words of wisdom Calgary’s great Jim Gray shared with 200 future leaders, changemakers and emerging entrepreneurs who all gathered recently at MindFuel.ca‘s Tech Futures Challenge Showcase we had the honor to host at the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking – UCalgary: “Surround yourself with quality people – Ask for advice – Build bridges BEFORE you need them.” According to Gray, this advice is key to building lasting relationships.
Calgary’s superpower: a community of builders
I came to Calgary to help build – the Hunter Hub, the University of Calgary, the City of Calgary, our next generation of entrepreneurial champions and leaders. I’m humbled to know I am surrounded by builders and those eager to build. That is our community’s superpower. And that’s why thousands and thousands of people from around the world flock to Calgary each July for Stampede: To be part of building something – something special. Something great. Surrounded by other builders. That’s why you will see me all over the city, from 7 a.m. to late into the evening for the next 11 days.
An invitation to connect and build
For Stampede newbies, come say hi and shake hands (or hug – I’m a hugger). For builders, let’s talk. Let’s dream big, let’s get stuff done, and let’s have fun doing it. What Calgary has more than any other city in Canada right now is a bank account overflowing with relationship-building capital. And a community working tirelessly every day to see that account continue to grow. That’s Stampede. That’s Calgary. Invest in relationships before you need them. And then go build.
Guy Levesque is the executive director of the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary. #WeAreAllEntrepreneurial
