This is a summary of the book titled “Give to Grow: Invest in relationships to build your business and grow your career” written by Mo Bunnell and published by Bard Press in 2024. The author is a performance and growth consultant, who offers a framework to develop relationships that boost productivity and growth. His book draws on his decades in business development and consulting. This is an easy-to-read and high impact book. Investing in client relationships to unlock growth and drive long-term success, increasing your value, rooting out false beliefs that were self-limiting, showing clients that you have a genuine desire to understand the problems and help them, demonstrating your expertise, ensuring your success by always taking action and “thinking in bets” and thus growing your clients, growing your team and growing your scale are some of the tenets of his framework.

To achieve full performance and growth potential, prioritize relationships as the foundation for long-term success. The Give to Grow framework guides individuals in two components of high performance: "Doing the Work" by delivering outcomes to clients and "Winning the Work" by developing relationship skills. Top performers distinguish themselves by their focus on long-term relationships, which generate growth and provide opportunities for growth. Top performers in complex roles deliver between eight and thirty times the value of average employees. The key difference between top performers and others is their focus on growth strategies and actions. Top performers prioritize client conversations, engage in extensive research, and embrace an ethos of continuous improvement. They translate annual goals into weekly priorities and take time to reflect on what worked and what didn't after each client meeting.

Adam Grant's book Give and Take identifies three types of people: "Takers" who seek the best outcome, "Matchers" who negotiate fair deals, and "Givers" who are perpetually generous. Successful people are Givers, who focus on their most important relationships and give without demanding anything in return. They maintain healthy boundaries to prevent burnout. To become a Strategic Giver, reach out to clients frequently, helping them even when they aren't in a position to buy from you, and consistently become the client's first call when a need manifests. Expand your idea of growth by enlarging your network and investing in relationships. To reach your highest growth potential, identify false beliefs about yourself that can limit your growth. Replace them with a growth mindset, "I can't" and "I don't know how," "I might do it wrong," "I'm too busy," and "I might look bad." Overcoming these fears helps you grow and become a more effective professional.

To effectively engage clients, it is essential to show genuine interest and genuine engagement. This can be achieved by setting a two-sided, enjoyable, and energizing conversation, keeping meetings productive, and offering different forms of support. Connect with clients by finding commonalities and reducing stress through humor and celebrating incremental progress. Focus on their engagement and aim to "fall in love" with their problem, ensuring they feel seen and heard. Before each meeting, reflect on questions to better understand the client's situation and listen attentively. Demonstrate your expertise by giving potential clients a taste of what working with you would be like, such as providing a technical analysis free of charge. This groundwork will position you as the best candidate for the job. When meeting with clients, always give them a recommendation regarding their next steps, allowing them to make better decisions while placing you as a guide and expert. It is best to appear "passionately agnostic" and give them space to choose their next steps.

As you grow in your career, remember that you can always improve your situation, even in difficult circumstances. Strengthen relationships and respond to setbacks with compassion and generosity. Identify three high-impact tasks every week and schedule time for them, aligning with your vision of long-term growth. "Think in bets" - investing time and energy in opportunities with the biggest payoff.

High performers experience three levels of business growth: growth in client list, growth in team, and growth at scale. In the first stage, make yourself indispensable by bringing in more business than it costs your organization to employ you. As you build success, build a team to support you, delegate more to free up time, and scale your success throughout your organization. As your business scales, view your impact holistically, focusing on helping others succeed.