Focus Point:
By Dr. Jason Carthen
My Passion for helping Others
Many of you know that I have a passion for helping and serving others. Through this desire to serve and help, my travels have taken me to many of the 50 states and 15 different countries…I am actually on a flight as I type this MMLM. During a recent trip to a Correctional Facility with nearly 3,000 inmates, I was reminded of just how crucial our choices are in this lifetime.
The Responsibility of Leader to Act in Good Faith
As you walk through the massive metal doors and hear the loud metallic locks slam into place behind you, it is impossible not to become keenly aware of just how bound you are by someone elses’s choice over your life. For me, it was the gatekeeper that controlled access to the prison yard, for others it may be their supervisor or the CEO of the company. Whoever that individual is that holds sway over you, it is their responsibility to act in good faith and to lead well.
Leaders Can Influence Other’s Journey of Life
As leaders, we often forget that our mood, our feelings, and our own emotional baggage for that particular day can positively or negatively impact others in profound ways while on their life’s journey. For that reason, it is important to keep the right perspective when leading others. For example, lead them in a way that you would like to be led, but paying attention to different indicators of their preference, so that you can maximize their buy-in, their loyalty and ultimately their productivity. During this visit, I was privileged to share my testimony as a point of hope for the inmates and guards that were part of the general population. As a point of clarity for me, I received feedback from the inmates and guards that I want to leave with you today. As I was being escorted back to the gate, I was repeatedly told, “Thank you for keeping it real, and meeting us where where we are….” As a leader or a follower, it is important to “keep it real” and to meet people where their needs are, rather than what you always think they deserve. After all, your choice can define a lifetime for them.
What are you doing to get better as a leader? Are you asking others to evaluate your leadership?
