"Today I had an unusual day in the sense that I had nothing on my calendar and yet worked late because of all the meetings I ended up having."
Leaders have to know themselves. They also have to get their finger on the pulse of what is going on under their care. In order to know both of these things there has to be communication with people.
On the one hand to know yourself involves more than yourself. In your prayer time and study of God's Word you must listen to who God says you are. If you know who you are in Him then you will be more confident to lead. Also you must listen to what others say about you. I am not just talking about the nice stuff either. It is good to know when people recognize strengths in you and just as good to hear encouragement. We all need to be encouraged or we would give up! But we also need to hear constructive criticism from people we trust whose interest is in our growth. One of the meeting I had on this day last year was with my mentor. He spoke wisdom and encouragement and helped me in my decision making process.
On the other hand you must know the pulse of what you are over. This takes gathering information, hearing people's hearts and looking ahead at what is coming. The Bible says we should know the state of our flock. We should see where we are strong and where we are weak. We should have a handle on numbers and the resources we are stewarding. It takes diligence but it also takes communication with people. When people know you care enough to listen to them and see you involved the morale rises. I don't just ask people about their jobs I also ask about their families. I want to make sure my employees aren't struggling or hurting at home. And not just so that they will be a better worker but also because I want them to be blessed and prosperous in life.
If leaders will know themselves and the pulse it will allow for better decisions, better placement, better use of time and resources, and better productivity.
How can we know ourselves better? What ways do you use to know the pulse of your organization?
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