'You were built to count, as water is made to run downhill. We are placed in a specific context to count in ways no one else does' - Dallas Willard, Theologian.
We are all influencing other people. Arguing against this idea is like arguing that you can throw a stone into water without creating ripples. Even the most gentle attempt to slip a stone past the surface of a pond would still create ripples. This is us! We are stones in the pond of people around us having a ripple effect. Where we lose our way is when we compare how big the ripples are. We stare out across the vast expanse that is the social media world and we see people with hundreds of thousands of followers and they are making presentations to arenas full of people and we fall prey to comparing our ripple effect to theirs. Let me attempt to ground you back into reality. Your influence on the people around you matters because one life matters, doesn't it? I mean, we are all outraged when one life is crippled by injustice. Where does that outrage come from? It comes from an innate sense that a human life matters. And if a life matters and we influence life, we need to consider what we are doing to influence that life. This is foundational to understanding why it is important to lead yourself well.
If you're still with me, here are three additional reasons why leading yourself well is so important.
1. You can only influence others to go where you are actively going. The influence we have on people is fluid and hard to measure. It is not static. It is not locked into time. Because we are constantly influencing others we must constantly be leading ourselves well so that our influence is one that gives life to those around us.
2. Quality performance is the result of quality preparation that is built on quiet pursuits. This is actually two ideas in one and probably sounds a little too professional to feel like it applies to everyone, but it does. Our influence on other people can be viewed like a performance. Not from a perspective of showmanship but from the perspective that if it is to be done well it must be done intentionally. Your influence on others needs to be done well and anything that needs to be done well requires preparation. You don't just retire, you prepare for it. You don't just take your final exams, you prepare for them. You don't just celebrate a 25th anniversary, you prepare for it. Get the point? The second idea, quiet pursuits, will be described in my next post on how to lead yourself well. You can jump to it here.
3. You are always passing along who you are. Who are you? For the point of this idea, you are acting out your values and ideals. You are passing those values and ideals along to people all of the time. If value and ideals are to be a positive influence they need to be thought about, read about, discussed, and tested. The better you lead yourself, the more your values and ideals are sharpened, like iron on iron, and the more positive an influence they will have on the people around you.
We are all influencing the people around us. YOU matter. That is why you should lead yourself well.
Keep an eye out for my next post, 3 suggestions on how to lead yourself well.
We are all influencing other people. Arguing against this idea is like arguing that you can throw a stone into water without creating ripples. Even the most gentle attempt to slip a stone past the surface of a pond would still create ripples. This is us! We are stones in the pond of people around us having a ripple effect. Where we lose our way is when we compare how big the ripples are. We stare out across the vast expanse that is the social media world and we see people with hundreds of thousands of followers and they are making presentations to arenas full of people and we fall prey to comparing our ripple effect to theirs. Let me attempt to ground you back into reality. Your influence on the people around you matters because one life matters, doesn't it? I mean, we are all outraged when one life is crippled by injustice. Where does that outrage come from? It comes from an innate sense that a human life matters. And if a life matters and we influence life, we need to consider what we are doing to influence that life. This is foundational to understanding why it is important to lead yourself well.
If you're still with me, here are three additional reasons why leading yourself well is so important.
1. You can only influence others to go where you are actively going. The influence we have on people is fluid and hard to measure. It is not static. It is not locked into time. Because we are constantly influencing others we must constantly be leading ourselves well so that our influence is one that gives life to those around us.
2. Quality performance is the result of quality preparation that is built on quiet pursuits. This is actually two ideas in one and probably sounds a little too professional to feel like it applies to everyone, but it does. Our influence on other people can be viewed like a performance. Not from a perspective of showmanship but from the perspective that if it is to be done well it must be done intentionally. Your influence on others needs to be done well and anything that needs to be done well requires preparation. You don't just retire, you prepare for it. You don't just take your final exams, you prepare for them. You don't just celebrate a 25th anniversary, you prepare for it. Get the point? The second idea, quiet pursuits, will be described in my next post on how to lead yourself well. You can jump to it here.
3. You are always passing along who you are. Who are you? For the point of this idea, you are acting out your values and ideals. You are passing those values and ideals along to people all of the time. If value and ideals are to be a positive influence they need to be thought about, read about, discussed, and tested. The better you lead yourself, the more your values and ideals are sharpened, like iron on iron, and the more positive an influence they will have on the people around you.
We are all influencing the people around us. YOU matter. That is why you should lead yourself well.
Keep an eye out for my next post, 3 suggestions on how to lead yourself well.
Keep on, keepin' on, friends!
Bite Down and Don’t Let Go’ is a collection of writings on relentlessly leading yourself and others well. Read about it more here. You can listen to the Bite Down and Don't Let Go podcast here!
Dr. Chris Hobbs is an educational leader with more than two decades of experience. He’s earned a few degrees and won some awards. He’s happily married to his high school sweetheart and they have three teen age children. Life is messy and complicated most of the time. You can follow him on Twitter for all sorts of inspirational thoughts and good laughs.
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