Good Morning,
Happy Thursday. Remember to start each and every day with gratitude. Enjoy.
Lisa
Always do your best…… developing your character is just as important as developing your technical skills. A great metaphor for our total skill set is a bicycle. The front tire is your technical/professional skills; the rear tire is your interpersonal skills where communication, decision making, and character reside. Unless the tires are inflated equally, you will struggle to earn respect in the world. All too often the emphasis is placed on our professional skills and not on the continued development of our interpersonal skills. We behave like it is up to everyone around us to navigate the mine field of our communications. It is up to them to understand “what we were really saying” But this is not so, we alone are responsible for managing the intent and the effect of our communications. We choose the words, the tone, and the intention, every time we speak.
As leaders we have to do the maintenance on our “bicycles.” We have to be mindful of how we walk this beautiful planet and the trail we leave behind us. We have to see the people that we live with, work with, and play with….and we have to take note of whether they are joyful, or sad and lonely. Because building character means doing something small and compassionate that lets people know we see them. A compassionate approach to the people in our lives gives us a much better lens through which to view our problems. It keeps us anchored to always doing our best, problem solving, and earning respect along the way. Compassion eradicates negativity because we emotionally accept that no one is immune to adversity. You are always the sum total of all your choices. So today, don’t expect a miracle, be a miracle.
John Maxwell said “Character communicates respect. When you don’t have character within, you can’t earn respect without. And respect is absolutely essential for lasting leadership. How do leaders earn respect? By making sound decisions, by admitting their mistakes, and by putting what’s best for their followers and the organization ahead of their personal agenda. A leaders good character builds trust among their followers. But when a leader breaks trust, they forfeit their ability to lead. That is the law of solid ground.”
By Lisa Scott ~ Executive Life Coach