How are you holding yourself accountable by not stifling other’s views?
Some time ago, I was reviewing a few quotes I have saved over the years. I rediscovered one I save from Marcus Aurelius that has made me think deeper of myself. Aurelius is credited with saying, “Be tolerant with others and strict with yourself”. It is strange to me, that by coincidence, I found this quote and others that made me question my stance on things. It is healthy to have moments when we question ourselves to be sure our stance is not impeding what is right or the best plan. I am by no means awesome at this! I worry that my ego gets in the way at times. I hope that by checking myself often, I will make the best choices for myself and others. So, how do we remain strict with our actions and beliefs?
One way to keep yourself in check, is to involve others in the planning for your organization. This can cause difficulties when the wrong people come to the table. As we look to improve ourselves or any organization, we must bring the like-minded individuals to the table. Here, we hope for great conversations that will provide for the best plan moving forward. If we are having good discussion, we want to hear everyone involved. As groups have these conversations, there will not always be an agreement. What is important that we understand each side of the discussions and refrain from dismissing them without giving adequate review and understanding.
Do you know and understand your chore values well enough to not deviate from them? Aurelius’ quote uses the word strict; do we understand that? We must hold ourselves to the highest standard and do what is best for all involved. Yes, people will doubt us, especially if you are the leader. As we hold ourselves to those high standards, we must also remain confident hat we have developed the greatest plans. If you have not written down your true values or developed who you are yet, now is the time. Set your standards and core values to find your true north. Once we have decided what we feel defines us, we cannot deviate from them.
Find a buddy or mentor to check in with. This person’s opinion you value and you know they will not sugar-coat anything. They are brutally honest with you on your behavior and expectations. Having a person who holds us accountable is vital to keeping us on the right path in life and in our journey to self-improvement. If necessary, meet with this person on a regular basis, and schedule time to have tough conversations where the hard questions can be asked. At times, these talks might not make us feel good about ourselves. Take this feeling as a sign that you need to change something. We all have blind spots. Use this experience to better yourself and your plans.
As we discuss how we must do better, we should not ignore showing tolerance to others. Leading an organization forces us to make decisions that are not always popular. We must show our people compassion when they express frustration. We all have our beliefs we feel strongly about, and it is difficult to change them in a moment’s notice. We need to give people time and grace in these situations.
Do you understand the alternative views in your organizational changes?
Are you holding yourself to the highest standards and your core values?
Who is your trusted advisor that holds you accountable?
How are you showing compassion to your people?
There will be times we impose a decision that does not align with our followers. Base your decisions on sound investigations, but never forget to show your people the compassion they deserve. Thanks for reading this week’s post. I hope you found something of value in reading it. Please leave a comment below.
I would also like to extend a thank you to all our men and women in uniform. Their sacrifices have allowed me the freedom to share my voice in a free, United States of America. God bless those who served, and never returned. Memorial Day 2021.
Steven C. Bucks-Leading Conversations
