Thursday; December 20

          What do we do when one of our subordinates receives credit for doing a good job?  How do we respond when a contemporary of ours does a better job than we do and gets the praise they deserve?  How do we respond when our spouse gets rave reviews from our children when we do the same thing (or even more things) and barely get a “thank you”?
          Most all of us face a sense of dissonance when others are recognized for their accomplishments.  On one hand, we are grateful that they are getting the attention they deserve, but on the other hand we may feel a little envious that we aren’t appreciated.  While we may be pleased that the people we have trained are successful, there might be a fear that they could end up being a little too good and take our place.
          A human approach to recognition can lead to hurt feelings and alienation in our relationships, but when we take on the role of a true leader we can reduce the negative impact these situations can have on us.  When we accept the role of a leader – someone with the ability to positively influence the lives of others – we will begin to feel better about the successes others achieve and the accolades they receive.  Leaders are committed to making the people around them (and even below them) better.  The job of a leader is to help people become the best they can be – even if that means they surpass us.
          Do we feel good when people get the positive attention they deserve?  If so, everyone can be successful and feel supported! 
          Think About It!

Popular posts from this blog

Tuesday; November 29

The biblical story of the Good Samaritan has changed our world. Notice I didn’t say that it had change religion or even Christianity, it has influenced the world. There are very few people who don’t know the moral of Jesus’ parable about the Good Samaritan. In fact, the phrase has become a common description of everyday people doing good to their neighbors. While Jesus’ parable from Luke 10 shares several spiritual lessons, one of the most practical is that good can be done by anyone. You don’t have to be a church official to do good, it is not only possible for each one of us to help, it is required of all of us. If a Samaritan can be good, so can we! After presenting the parable, Jesus asked the man who had originally asked the question about being a good neighbor which character in the story was a good neighbor, “… he said, ‘The one who showed mercy toward him.’” at which point, the discussion from theoretical to personal, “Then Jesus said to him, ‘Go and do the same.’” (Luke
Read more

Thursday; January 12

The other day I was watching a television show that used a rather common term applied to overcoming challenges. When organizations experience unexpected setbacks – especially when they lose key people – they rely upon the concept of “Next Man Up”. In essence, when our starters (or stars) go down, effective organizations rely upon their next levels to step into the vacancy. While this is an effective response, have we given much thought as to how we prepare to be the “next people up”? First, we must know our job. Even when we aren’t the primary players, we need to be preparing ourselves to be ready when we get the opportunity to shine. Second, we must do our best when we get the chance. Knowledge is important but what turns potential into talent is effort. Yet, maybe the most underappreciated aspect of this concept is a willingness avoid excuse-making and whining about the unfairness of our situation. When we complain about the circumstances that caused the need for replacements
Read more

Monday; September 25

When I was a youngster, I remember hearing about this thing called the Generation Gap. I was a little bit too young to be active in the social movements of the 1960s, but I do remember listening to the challenges the generations were experiencing way back then. Interestingly, now that I have been on both sides of the aging process, I have to admit that the Gap of the 1960s was nothing new. With the development of each generation comes conflict. The young people don’t feel like the older people understand them and the older folks tend to believe their input is being underappreciated. Too often trust is the casualty when two generations collide. The sad thing is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When we can capture the innovation and energy of the younger folks and harness the wisdom of those who have been around for a while we can develop a winning combination. No, we won’t always see things eye-to-eye nor will we necessarily speak the same emotional language, but when we app
Read more