The Negative Impact

Are you trying to get ahead by correcting others, instead of connecting with others?

Whether you're a leader, a customer service officer, a speaker or a teacher....whatever your title or tenure, deep down, most people want to feel like they matter.

Thing is, how do we fight against our naturally selfish attitude and try to connect?

When we let ego get in the way, then connection is simply not an option.

One thing I know for sure is, that when we are focused on others, we are absolutely capable of truly connecting with others.

If I may share with you a letter written to a leader by their team.

Inspired by Calvin Miller.

Dear Leader,

Your ego has become a wall between your team and you.

You’re not really concerned about me or your team members are you?

You’re so caught up with self and concerned about whether or not you’re achieving your results, meeting your benchmarks, making a great impression and doing a good job.

You’re really afraid that I will not like you, aren’t you?

You’re afraid that I won’t laugh at your jokes and give you the time of day.

You are so caught up in the issue of how you can make me do what you want so that you can achieve results to look good, that you haven’t thought much about me at all.

I might have liked you, but you are so caught up in yourself that I am really unnecessary.

If I don’t give you my attention it’s because I feel so unnecessary.

When I see you, I see Narcissus at his mirror . . . Is your tie straight? Is your hair straight? Is your team meeting their targets? Do you look good to everyone around you?

You seem in control of everything, excpet for your team.

You see everything so well, but us.

This blindness to us, I’m afraid, has made us deaf to you. We must go now. Sorry.

Call us sometime later. We’ll come back to you . . . when you’re real enough to see us as individuals after your dreams have been shattered as a leader . . . after your heart has been broken . . . after your arrogance has reckoned with despair.

Then there will be room for all of us in your world.

Then you won’t care if we applaud your brilliance. You’ll be one of us. Then you will tear down the ego wall and use those very stones to build a bridge of warm relationships.

We’ll meet you on that bridge.

We’ll hear you then.

All leaders are joyously understood when they reach with understanding.

Your Team

Are we wrestling or are we dancing, because no good outcome happens unless we connect...

If you would like to learn more about how to build strong relationships and drive connection, let's connect.