Making connections is fundamental to progress. Being able to bring disparate elements together to create value is a core skill in most professions. So is being able to see both sides of a problem.

The connections that are made between people is what drives organizations forward. Strong bonds and weak bonds exist between people, places, and things just as they do between atoms and molecules, respectively, in chemistry.

Understanding the specific nature of these bonds between individuals or groups of people can make you a very effective leader—but you have to be able to perceive the bonds first.