Change

Jerry Jeff Walker sings a song entitled Too Old to Change.  I recall being in my mid to late twenties and thinking that song applied to me.  I had this notion that I was who I was, and was not likely to change much, people around me just needed to accept that.  At that point my song title should have been Too Stupid to Change.  Maybe it still should be!  We are never too old to change, we are however, often too hard headed to change.  In fact we do not grow as people if we do not change.  We must change to grow and improve ourselves.  I know this better now, even if I am still not very good at it.  Life is all about change and how we accept, embrace and adapt to it. 

Don't be too old to change!

Accountability

It seems like we live in a time where nobody wants to be held accountable and everyone is pointing fingers, placing blame on others.  Owning the outcome of our own decisions seems a lost character trait.  Great leaders take responsibility and don’t use blame as a deflector.  It is honorable and respectful to be accountable; it builds character and develops loyal followers.  Accountability is the foundation to collaborative teamwork.  While it is certainly easy to always place blame elsewhere, it is seldom productive.  Are you accountable for your own actions?

“The search for someone to blame is always successful.”
--Robert Half

Leaders are Encouragers

As leaders our job is to move people to accomplish a common goal.  We are always watching and monitoring accomplishments, milestones and deadlines.  One way to do that is to nag your team about where they stand on the path to the goal.  Another way is to encourage them along the way.  Think about which way you prefer to be led.  In which circumstance are you more likely to thrive and grow?  I prefer to be encouraged, and I want to encourage others.  Encouragement can inspire, it strengthens people and spurs them to accomplishment.  Nagging on the other hand feels like berating and can be annoying and irritating.  People do not reach goals quickly when they feel annoyed and irritated.  And more importantly they do not grow.  Great leaders are encouragers.  By the way so are great parents!  Are you an encourager?

“People have a way of becoming what you encourage
to them to be, not what you nag them to be.”
                                                               --Scudder N. Parker

Happy Birthday USA!

Have a great 4^th of July holiday and may God bless America!