Getting To Know You…And Me

A critical doer generates motion from “why” more than “what” 

Trust is an essential part of building the strong relationships that give the critical doer freedom of action.  I’ll repeat again what John Maxwell said:  “people buy into a leader before they buy into an idea.”

One of the most poignant passages on the trust relationship between leader and follower comes from the Bible in Chapter 10 of the Book of John.  Chapter 10 leads off with the parable of the good shepherd.  There is a single verse that captures the relationship between the sheep and the good shepherd, and the words are pure poetry…”they hear the sound of his voice, and they follow.”

I want you to think about that for a moment…”they hear the sound of his voice, and they follow.”  How do you think a relationship like that is built…one where trust is so deep that the mere sound of the voice convinces others to follow?

I’m sure you’ve heard many times how important it is to know the people in your organization to be effective.  I contend that it’s equally important for your people to know you.  As people get to know you and understand you, they begin to see the “why” that drives your action.  When people see that your motivations are focused on organizational excellence and doing right by people, they will buy into you…and follow the sound of your voice.

If you are in a leadership position in the work or civic environment, there are a number ways to let your people know you and identify with you.  The ways range from social, recreational, spending time doing your subordinates jobs to “walk a mile in their shoes”, interject humor…but through it all, simply be yourself.

If you’ve made the effort to know your people but feel like you’re still not clicking as a team, you may want to think about whether your people know you well enough to understand the “why” that guides your actions.  It takes some work, but inspiring people to take on tough challenges is a necessary skill to make the jump from critical thinker to critical doer.  Get started today; it’s what a critical doer would…do!

Updated: December 20, 2014 — 1:08 pm