“I have seen it with my own eyes. People from all different backgrounds coming together for the purpose of learning how to make more money in the businesses that they own. Most come because they are stuck, frustrated, scared, and slaves to their business. Howard Partridge gives them the skills and knowledge they need to turn their businesses around. But skills and knowledge are not the game changer. The Power of Community is the game changer. People sharing the wins and losses, the tears and the triumphs, praying and crying together about everything great and difficult about business and life. At the end of the day we need to be surrounded by people who tell us that we have what it takes and that what we do matters. We have a choice. We can go through life doing the best we can with what we have. Or we can grow through life side by side with our family, friends, and team members. Yes, The Power of Community is a choice. Choose to read and apply this book and it will change your life.”

Tom Ziglar, CEO, Ziglar, Inc.

"Today’s most effective business leaders understand that when those they lead feel (and are!) truly valued, they are happier, more loyal, and more productive. And few things will inspire this more than the feeling of belonging to something special; in others words, an environment of community. In this book, the author, Howard Partridge, who has built a sustainably successful company based on these very principles, does an excellent job of teaching us how we can do the same.”

Bob Burg, coauthor of The Go-Giver

“The Power of Community is a masterful, comprehensive, and systematic resource for how to lead and craft authentic, prosperous, and dynamic communities both inside and outside your company! Howard Partridge’s breadth of business acumen and thought leadership shine through in an engaging, thoughtful, and approachable set of ideas, tools, and principles for achieving interpersonal success and leadership significance! If you only have time to read one book this year—make it The Power of Community! Better yet, buy a copy for your entire team and your business colleagues so that together you can build communities of excellence that will sustain transformational success.”

Dr. Joseph Michelli, Ph.D., CCXP, New York Times #1 bestselling author of books such as The Starbucks Experience, Driven to Delight, The Zappos Experience, and The New Gold Standard.

“In this book, Howard Partridge shows us that the most important aspect of life is discovered by having correct insights into how life actually works. Much of it is found in understanding ourselves and other people who make up our own community. Every reader will experience personal growth and development from the excellent information contained in this personal book.”

Robert A. Rohm, Ph.D., President, Personality Insights, Inc.

“Howard Partridge is a game changer for businesspeople wanting to maximize growth. His new book, The Power of Community, provides essential steps to create a greater and more engaging team member experience that strengthens culture, accelerates performance, and elevates the customer experience. His insight is especially relevant for managing today’s workforce.”

Dave Anderson, President, LearnToLead, author Unstoppable

“This wonderful book shows you how to encourage and inspire your people to put their whole hearts into your success.”

Brian Tracy, author, Full Engagement

“Howard Partridge is a coach, mentor, and leader worth following. His contribution to empowering leaders to build community in their organizations has transformed many lives (my own included!) and has led to a community movement of its own through Howard’s Inner Circle. The ideas shared in this book, when practiced, are transformative to the point that Ziglar, Inc., handpicked Howard to join the leadership team to help steer Mr. Zig Ziglar’s legacy into the future.”

Evan Desjardins, President Ziglar Inc.

“The power of community brings forth a simple but important idea...that community is vitally important in business. This book follows the principle of Givers Gain®, and I highly recommend it.”

Ivan Misner, Ph.D., Founder, BNI

“What’s missing in America today? We are all going our separate ways and we’ve lost touch with the power we possess together! In Howard’s book, he does a masterful job of encouraging us to return to COMMUNITY. You will want to share this book with friends, family members, and coworkers. Thank you, Howard, for putting together a book that has the potential to bring us back to where we find our power—back to COMMUNITY!”

Cheri Perry, President and Cofounder, Total Merchant Concepts

“The Power of Community an absolute must-read for anyone who leads a team—whether it’s two or two hundred employees. Howard Partridge candidly describes, from personal experience, the incredible and dramatic difference that fostering a true sense of community among employees will make to a company’s overall success. Get your highlighter ready—this book will become your reference manual for years to come!”

Mark Timm, Executive Vice President, Ziglar, Inc., and CEO, Ziglar Family

“Howard’s new book, The Power of Community, addresses one of the most important but often neglected areas in the business world. The principles and concepts he writes about are applicable to anyone interested in having better relationships and experiencing genuine community and true success not only in business but in every area of life.

“In addition to being a master communicator, team builder, business coach, and consultant, Howard has a proven track record of using these lessons to build several companies. He shares from a wealth of personal experience but is also a diligent learner from many other successful leaders. I highly recommend his book to anyone who wants to grow and improve in these areas.”

Jerry Wiles, D.D., North America Regional Director, International Orality Network, and President Emeritus, Living Water International

“We wander around our city streets, airports, coffeehouses, schools, and businesses with our heads down, transfixed by our phones. We are substituting ‘likes’ for genuine human connection. Instead of conversing, debating, and persuading, we post wordy, ineffective rants on social media. We are virtually connected to more people than ever, and though the Internet has had a positive, world-flattening effect, it feels like we are becoming more and more isolated. And, for so many, less hopeful. So, thank you, Howard Partridge, for your inspiring and elegantly practical book. Howard suggests that our ‘longing for belonging’ can be satisfied by creating healthy communities. That resonates, right? Even better, Howard shares exactly HOW to do that, with simple systems, the right questions, and a whole lotta love. Looking for better relationships with your family, friends, team members, and customers? Read on! BONUS: Turns out a flourishing community is very, very good for your business’s bottom line, too.”

Ellen Rohr, ZOOM DRAIN Franchising, LLC

INTRODUCTION: A LONGING FOR BELONGING

Every human being has a longing for belonging. We all want to feel loved, accepted, and validated. We want to feel that our lives matter. Deep down, we want to belong to something bigger than ourselves. We want to make a positive difference. Today, we are more connected digitally than ever before, yet we often feel more isolated and disconnected personally than ever.

This sense of isolation not only affects our personal lives but dramatically affects our work life as well. The ongoing Gallup Employee Engagement Poll* reveals that 70 percent of American workers are disengaged from their work. Perhaps even more disturbing, 18 percent of those workers are actively disengaged, meaning they are actually working against the success of the company. Not surprisingly, this lack of positive purpose bleeds over from employees to customers and has a serious negative impact on our organizations. * http://news.gallup.com/poll/180404/gallup-daily-employee-engagement.aspx

There is, however, one simple concept by which leaders can reengage their team members and transform their businesses to be phenomenally successful. That concept is community, and that’s what The Power of Community is all about. This book will show you how to build a sense of community in your organization that not only will help you engage your team but will create more loyal and devoted clients in the process, which in turn will create higher returns for your organization.