We can find many wise men and books of wisdom that point out that we can best be served by serving others. Here are some examples of what has been said and written.
Napoleon Hill said, “It is literally true that you can succeed best and quickest by helping others to succeed. The Dalai Lama said, “Our prime purpose in life is to help others”. In Luke 6:35 you will find, “Do good and lend expecting nothing in return and your reward will be great. Proverbs 11:25 reads, “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will refresh himself”.
Helping Others Makes Us Stronger
However, what might not be as evident is that when we serve and support others, we also build resiliency. Helping those who are not as strong and talented as we are and those who may be less fortunate is a great way to build our confidence and gain an understanding that our troubles may not be as great as we once thought they were.
To build resiliency, serve and support others. Focus on being a role model. When you focus on others rather than yourself, amazing things happen. Purpose is a powerful thing and when our stated purpose is to help others, we can overcome many obstacles. Helping others in need will make us a stronger and more resilient person.
Be a Good Example
One of the primary roles of a leader is to develop future leaders. One of the best ways we can develop future leaders is through our actions rather than our words. That is, in part, what leading by example is all about. When we lead by example, we show those we lead what our version of “right” looks like.
We never know who is watching us, so we never know who we inspire by our actions. One thing I learned about leading others is that someone is always watching us. I am not talking about our bosses or supervisors – I am talking about our followers. Those we lead are always watching to see if our actions match the words we speak. Our followers “buy in” not by the words we write or speak but by our actions. Our actions are what seal that bond of trust with those we lead, or for those leaders whose actions are not consistent with their words, actions can break that bond of trust and destroy credibility.
Take Time to Invest in Others
When we invest in others we invest in the future of our organization. We are also making an investment in our community, our country, and ultimately the world. We are helping to make the world a brighter place for our children, because they may at some point be led by the people we are developing.
A friend of mine left me with a great acronym. HOPE – Help one person everyday. If we can have as a goal to help one person everyday, we will leave this world a better place. It may be a family member, a co-worker, or a stranger. It does not matter but we will be investing in a better future for everyone including ourselves.
About John Gronski
Major General John L. Gronski (U.S. Army Retired) is the founder and CEO of Leader Grove LLC, a leadership consulting firm. John is the author of two books, “Iron-Sharpened Leadership” and “The Ride of Our Lives” and he is an international and Fortune 500 speaker. Learn more about John Gronski at https://johngronski.com/
Continue To Learn
John created a great online leadership development program. You can take online leadership development courses including Cultivating Trust, Introduction to Emotional Intelligence, and Conflict Management. Introduction to Change Leadership will be available soon and more courses will follow. Once you complete a course, take a short quiz, attain an 80% score, and download a certificate of completion. Find out more and enroll at Store.LeaderGrove.com
