By John Arenas | May 23, 2014

How to Connect by Disconnecting

Many prominent leaders are beginning to realize that 24/7 interactions are not the answer to success—and they’re most certainly not the answer to happiness.

“Stay connected.” Essentially it’s the be-all and end-all of work life, home life and social life. But many prominent leaders are beginning to realize that 24/7 interactions are not the answer to success—and they’re most certainly not the answer to happiness.

David Sable, the Global CEO of Y&R, recently wrote “From the Mountaintop” in response to his experience at Summit Powder Mountain. During this Summit Series, a group of entrepreneurs, artists, social activists, inventors and environmentalists turned off their devices for an entire weekend. By doing so, these influencers were forced to live in the moment and communicate with their peers face to face.

Imagine turning your back on your cell phone for two days. Most people can’t even put it down for two minutes, as evidenced by the rise of cellphone parlor games. But apparently, that’s what it takes to convince people to have face-to-face conversations with one another.

Over the weekend, many inspiring professionals share their journeys and shed light on creating and cultivating lasting connections. Paired with hiking and skiing on one of America’s most beautiful mountains, the experience helped Sable transform the way he thought about the digital world.

“But the truth is, we don’t have to climb a mountain to have these kinds of interactions. All around us are people to inspire us, ideas to build on and creativity to unleash. All we have to do is open ourselves up and who knows what we might find, discover, create.”

—David Sable