Let’s look at what you think of you.  Let’s look at ourselves in our mirror.  This is a never-ending process because improvement is everywhere along the journey.  It’s important to understand, as we get into the management skills area, that how you see yourself is foundational. 

You have to be comfortable with who you are.  Not only from your perspective, but from others’ perspective as well.  Don’t worry, it should be a fun journey because revelation that leads to development is fun, because it also leads to success.  You’re probably going to find this to be perhaps the most difficult part of this discussion, because if you read it and you think about it, you should come out of it challenged. You may come out of it patting yourself on the back saying, “Yes, I’ve got everything all lined up on these things.” You may come out of it thinking, “Well, I’m 50% there.”

You may come out of it thinking you’re only 10% there.  It doesn’t matter where you are. What matters is what you do with the information and look forward to the future.

 Questions 1-3

I’m going to ask you a series of questions.  Think about these carefully.  I’m going to challenge you to take a very good look, a different look, at you.

Number one, do you know your employees? When I say, do you know your employees, I mean, do you know them? Do you know them to the degree that you know if they’re feeling well or not feeling well? 

When they walk in your operation or your office, can you tell their disposition, the mood they’re in, whether they are happy or not?

Secondly, do you care about them? Do you care about the way they feel? Do you care that they’re bringing something to work with them they’d rather not?  You may also prefer that they don’t bring it either.  I have never found the statement, “Leave your personal life at home,” to be reality.  It does not happen.  We are ourselves 24 hours a day, and so are your employees.  So, let’s make it as enjoyable as possible.

Number three, do you lead and manage from a perspective of service? You may not have thought about this one. As a manager, one of your responsibilities is to create for your employees the best work environment that you can put together, the best one that they can have, so that they can do their job the best possible.  You are serving them, so that they can perform their job to the best of their ability. Do you manage from a perspective of service, or do you manage from a perspective of, ‘It’s all about me?’ How do you answer that question?  I put high value on leading and managing from a perspective of service.  The most important person who ever walked on this earth lived this out to perfection.  He washed feet.  It is a great and attainable goal.  He referred to Himself as the chief cornerstone, simply referring to Psalm 118:22, where He was first called the chief cornerstone.  Where is the cornerstone of a building? It is at the bottom in one of the corners.  Everything builds up from there. Can your team stand on who you are?If your answer happens to be, “No”, it is not the end of the line.  It is the beginning of positive change.  You will enjoy the result, and so will they!