Scripture

“Why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own. You hypocrite! First get rid of the log in your own eye; then you will see well enough to deal with the speck in your friend’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5)

Thought

If you’ve been leading for any extensive time at all, you know the hardest person to lead - is you.

There is so much you want to do, but you don’t do. There is so much on your list, but you don’t get to it. You’ve been wanting to get up earlier, read more, write more, exercise more, whatever else ___ more.

As leaders we are tasked with getting “more” out of people. More results, more production. We’re hoping to motivate our athletes/students/staff to do more.

But if we’re honest… we have a hard time doing more ourselves.

There’s nothing quite as damaging to a leader’s culture than when they are viewed as a hypocrite. Sure, we’re all works in progress and make mistakes, but nothing takes the air out of a culture like seeing the leader fail to live the standard the leader set for everybody else.

As transformational leaders, we know the first transformation has to start within ourselves. The highest standard is held against our own lives.

Too often we are trapped in comparing and running a fine-tooth comb over our people.

If we want to “get tough” with performance, we need to get tough with our own performance.

How often are you serving? Instead of criticizing.

How often are you asking questions? Instead of assuming.

The greatest obstacle to your team’s performance is often you, the leader.

If you want your team to transform, you must first transform.

Call to Action

How can you re-engage with the things you have been meaning to do, but haven’t done? Instead of constantly tracking someone else’s shortcomings, how can you engage with your own shortcomings?