Surround Yourself with Good People

 

Wise words from King Solomon, the wisest man:

“Without good direction, people lose their way; the more wise counsel you follow, the better your chances.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭11‬:‭14‬ ‭The Message

 

Surround yourself with good people

Surround yourself with good people.

Surround yourself with people who will give wise counsel.

Surround yourself with people you respect and will listen to.

Remember, the greatest danger to any leader is losing their way.

You need others who will help keep your feet on the path.

There are three people any good leader (or human) should have on their team:

Surround yourself with someone who will whisper words of encouragement during times of discouragement.

 

Good leaders understand that it’s lonely at the top and often cold. Have someone who will bring a lawn chair, and a blanket and sit beside you,

Surround with someone who will be brutally honest:

Who’ll tell you what you need to hear, not what you want to hear.

It takes humility to take this blunt advice, but you need it.

I’m not talking about a negative person. They’re a dime a dozen and can bring anyone down.

I’m talking about a wise man or woman who will come in, shut the door, pull up a chair and tell you the honest. truth.

It’s called constructive criticism.

They’ll get in your face without getting in your face.

A leader doesn’t always have to act on this honest truth, but it is always wise to listen.

There is a grain of wisdom in every criticism.

Caveats:

*Make sure your honest person knows to come to you in private and can be confidential.

*And they are loyal. They won’t go around stabbing you in the back. They won’t lower themselves to talk about you with the water cooler crowd. They’re confident in their ability to bring their thoughts and concerns to their leader.

*Make sure your truth-teller knows you will listen but may not take immediate action on the concern or problem.

A leader needs a whispering encourager

A leader needs an honest truth-teller.

Finally, everyone- leader or not- needs a high-altitude pilot.

Someone who sees the 30,000-foot view. They get the big picture. The goals. The purpose.

Excuse the pun, but a pilot who will help you keep your feet on the ground.

 

Yes, a leader needs a whispering encourager.

Yes, a leader needs an honest truth-teller.

And yes, a leader needs a high-altitude pilot.

 

Surround yourself with good people, including these three key people on your team.

Still learning,

Curt Iles