Weekly Thought – January 28, 2025
Fred followed the principle: strong leaders identify patterns of behavior in their associates, especially those who are close to them. He had a God-given ability to read people; he spent his life developing and using the gift in order to “stretch others” which was his goal.
People Patterns
I have found helpful to employ people in the area of their gifts and passions. When you do this you only have to correlate their gifts and their work, not supervise them. In furthering this process I want to know:
1) Character: How a person uses his or her intelligence, and gifts is determined by their character. An executive friend of mine had a sign on his desk: “You can trust me to be who I say I will do and I will do what I say I will do.”
2) Confidence: It allows a person to attempt a task with a positive attitude and concentration. The lack of concentration is often disastrous.
3) Concept of self: I am not talking about self-image, but self-worth. This factor is related to the willingness to accept responsibility and self-development.
4) Collegial skills: The ability to operate effectively with teams is important. Loners can be stars, but they seldom flourish on teams. Understanding whether a person is cooperative or competitive under which conditions and circumstances makes a difference.
5) Commitment: The loyalty to the organization’s vision makes a person a good fit in addition to their skills and passions.
This “people reading discernment” is particularly important as measured by the size of the organization. One person out of place in a group of 100 represents 1%; the wrong person in the wrong place in a group of five represents 20%.
Understanding behavior is the key to peak performance. Reading people is essential to effective leadership.
This week carefully consider: 1) How do I evaluate those in my business, community service, or friends? 2) Which area is my strongest? Weakest? 3) What plans do I have to continue growing in discernment?
Words of Wisdom: “Strong leaders identify patterns of behavior.”
Wisdom from the Word: “For wisdom will enter your heart, and moral knowledge will be attractive to you.” (Proverbs 2:10 NET Bible)