Everyday Leadership
What if your primary role every day was to put other people in a position to succeed? What would you start doing? What would you stop doing? Could you be happy if they got the credit and you didn’t? Could you feel good about their success or would you feel angry because they were acknowledged for their success? What would happen if you ran the experiment?
What if each day you had to give ten compliments? Could you notice ten things worthy of compliment? Could you pay enough attention? Would it be difficult to give the compliments? Would it be easy? Would it scare you? Would you feel silly or happy? Who would be the first person you’d compliment? Who is the last person you’d compliment? How would they feel? What could it hurt to try it for a week?
What if each day you had to ask five people if you can help them? Could you do it even for one day? Could you ask in a way the preserves their self-worth? Could you ask in a sincere way? How do you think they would feel if you asked them? How would you feel if they said yes? How about if they said no? Would the experiment be valuable? Would it be costly? What’s in the way of trying it for a day? How do you feel about what’s in the way?
What if you made a mistake and you had to apologize to five people? Could you do it? Would you do it? Could you say “I’m sorry. I won’t do it again. How can I make it up to you?” and nothing else? Could you look them in the eye and apologize sincerely? If your apology was sincere, how would they feel? And how would you feel? Next time you make a mistake, why not try to apologize like you mean it? What could it hurt? Why not try?
What if every day you had to thank five people? Could you find five things to be thankful for? Would you make the effort to deliver the thanks face-to-face? Could you do it for two days? Could you do it for a week? How would you feel if you actually did it for a week? How would the people around you feel? How do you feel about trying it?
What if every day you tried to be a leader?
Image credit – Pedro Ribeiro Simões