My final college class was a capstone course. Students needed to review what we’ve learned during our time at the university, take a couple of assessment exams, submit a resume, and critique a video by Pat Lencioni. I had never heard of the man before, but the university thought he was significant enough to make his video speech part of the capstone class.
I was blown away with what he had to say. It was the answer to questions I had been asking for months. As I looked to starting my own freelancing business, I kept asking myself: What kind of leader do I want to be?
Below is the final paper I submitted in response to Patrick’s video. I think it is relevant to what I do on my blog and for my personal business. You won’t be productive if you can’t be a good leader and your business will suffer if you can’t get people to work with you.
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Patrick Lencioni gave a speech at Willow Creek promoting his book Getting Naked: A Business Fable About Shedding the Three Fears That Sabotage Client Loyalty. His overall theme was about the importance of being vulnerable in your dealings with people, whether they are your friends, clients, or acquaintances. He refers to the Bible and how it teaches us that strength and good leadership can be achieved by being open and vulnerable.
I was inspired by Patrick within the first five minutes of him speaking. He was funny, candid, and…Vulnerable. It helped that the mindset I had at the time was on building my image and brand for my business. His words were perfectly timed.
Patrick gave examples of companies that were doing poorly in the client area, and they had a common theme. Vulnerability and honesty were frowned upon and forbidden in their business culture.
I have had three different careers and in all three sectors, it was not okay to be vulnerable. You always had to watch your back and never show weakness or else the others would devour you. This lack of honesty and vulnerability is an archaic business practice, and it is amazing how many companies and people still think and operate this way.
Patrick went on to explain the three fears that keep people from being vulnerable. Fear of being rejected, fear of being embarrassed, and fear of feeling inferior. On each fear he said some things that resonated with me:
- Speak the kind truth
- Jesus never faltered when Peter rejected him; he spoke the kind truth
- People are desperate for someone to tell them the truth and it promotes trust
- My job is not to look smart, it’s to help people do better
- You won’t inspire or build trust if you are too busy shielding yourself and trying to manage your own image.
- Be genuinely interested in your client, friend, parishioner, etc. Taking the time to learn about that person, who they are and what they do, builds trust and openness.
When you allow yourself to be open, honest, and vulnerable, you open the door to quality relationships, both professional and personal. Quality is what I want in my business. When you stop wasting time fearing rejection and failure, you will have more time to work on being honest and inspiring. You will have more time to work on what matters whether it be your business or personal relationships.
Patrick’s speech reminded me of the lessons that Dr. Maria Church’s Love-Based Leadership platform teaches. Maria teaches us to be authentic, to be open and honest and lead from a place of love, not fear. I wholeheartedly agree with Patrick and the things he covered. I like to think that society is starting to embrace transparency, social responsibility, and openness. Businesses and entrepreneurs that adhere to this growing trend are the ones that people follow.
Watching this video, researching Patrick’s book, and writing this paper has answered a question I asked God a few weeks ago. How much of myself should I reveal on my blog’s about page? How should I brand myself with this new business of mine? He answered me through this assignment. Be open, honest, and vulnerable. In doing so, I will gain trust, inspiration, and a loyal set of clients.
A couple of notes…Dr. Maria Church was my teacher for all of my business classes. She has inspired me in so many ways, and I was delighted to see how her business platform intersected with Patrick’s business platform.
Update
I wrote this article over 6 months ago and it still resonates with the kind of leader I want to be. Open, honest, and real.
So far, it has worked well for me but what has enhanced this journey to leadership is something I heard from Chris Brown on his podcast. That we are only God’s stewards (his managers) on earth and everything belongs to him. That means everything in our lives, all the people, and places, and things belong to him. And we are here to take care of those things around us because he put us in charge.
I don’t know about you but looking at life from that perspective actually takes a huge load off my shoulders. And even if you didn’t believe in God, believe that you are still a steward of those things around you as ordained by the universe, by the ways of life.
This reminds me of the quote, “You live only one life, why not make it good.”
I look around my life and see all the things He has put me in charge of and I ask myself. Have I been a good manager of these things, these people? If my answer is no, then I really need to get to work.
(I seriously felt bad because, turns out, I was not being a good steward to my well-behaved dog, I was neglecting him by not being a good pack leader!)
Your Turn
What kind of leader do YOU want to be?
What kind of steward will you be to the things in your life? Toward the people in your life, both good and bad?
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