Support, and Congratulations

When looking at who gives support, and who gives only congratulations, it may seem like an odd topic. But to us leaders, there is very rarely the support we crave–and often times, congratulations are all we receive…

I do not see this and feel sorry for myself.

I do not see this and think poorly of others.

I also do not think this is wrong (some people who espouse servant-minded leadership think that we are supposed to work hard to be friends with all of our staff–something that is both not feasible and would contradict this image.)

I see this and recognize that leadership is hard. And, if leadership is hard, then Servant-Minded Leadership is even harder.

Leadership requires that we make the hard decisions, and those decisions do not get any easier when we genuinely care about our people.

Leadership requires that we take ownership, and that ownership does not get easier when we have invested heavily in a person who lets us down.

Leadership demands our time, and that does not get any easier when we need to take care of our responsibilities AND invest in the people on our team.

These are just a few areas where it is easier to be a bad leader than to be a servant leader.

So, what does this have to do with the picture?

It is VERY important that we not become jaded, during the tough times.

The reality that we face is very simple: The challenges of leadership will fall squarely on our shoulders (this is why not everyone is right for leadership–it is VERY hard!) YET, at the exact same time, when things go well, it is the team that gets the credit, and others who will want to be a part of the celebration!

I want to encourage my fellow servant-minded leaders, today. Be content with the impact you are making, and do not allow the victim mentality to creep in. It will slither in like a snake, if we allow it to. But we must not let it! We must continue to take on the challenge and give away the credit!

We can do it!
We must!
Let’s change the world!