W32D3 - People Skills
August 12, 2014
"Then people brought little children to Jesus for him
to place his hands on them and pray for them. But
the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, 'Let the little
children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the
kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these'" - Matthew 19:13-14.
Jesus was always accessible and friendly (except to the religious bigots). People felt comfortable enough bringing their children to Him for a blessing, knowing He would not shun or avoid them. Yet Jesus' administrative assistants and ushers tried to keep the people away from Jesus, thinking they were acting in Jesus' best interests. Leaders are meant to be among the people and not over the people. They must not allow themselves to become isolated from the people they serve and their needs, and must make sure their assistants and procedures reflect the values of openness and accessibility.
LEADERSHIP STEP: Today's Step is to examine the image your followers and team are portraying to the public. Are they keeping people and information from you that you need to see and know? Are they friendly in their encounters with others? One way you can find out is to ask around and perhaps even distribute a survey to a broader cross section of staff or public to get a clear picture of how they see your administrative 'world.' Then take any necessary corrective action.
Comments