“Try not to become a person of success but rather seek to become a person of value”
The higher you want to climb, the more you need leadership; to grow in leadership will require growing in influence. The greater the impact you want to make, the greater your influence needs to be, in order to become more influential, you must add more value to others. In order to add more value to others you must become a more valuable person yourself.
I had made a commitment to intentionally become a more valuable person each year than I was the year before. Instead of asking where do I want to be this time next year, I focused on who do I want to be this time next year. Making personal character development my lifelong commitment forced me to change how I think.
To become a more valuable person year in and year out, meant bringing all I think say and do into alignment with my life purpose – nothing is left untouched. This means who I am when I’m alone, with my family, friends, coworkers, and so on, must all be lived by this principle. I’m not the perfect model of this lifestyle, but I’m improving.
Add Value to Others by Making Yourself a More Valuable Person
I remember when I developed a personal assessment survey. I gave it to my leadership team to assess me as a leader. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I gave it to them. I was humbled by their honesty and their suggestions. I was also grateful that we had already been developing the team relationally.
Why would I make myself accountable to my team and ask them to assess me? I saw I needed to become a better leader for them. This meant I had to become more valuable myself before I could add more value to them.
In essence I needed to become more of what they needed in a leader in order for them to become more of what I needed in a team. This has made all the difference in our relationship and effectiveness; not to mention for me as a leader.
I now give out the survey each year in late August or early September, they are to be returned by September 30th. I then take the fourth quarter of the year to read them and follow through on the recommendations that most resonate with me, and map out how I will improve on those areas in the year ahead.
I sometimes discuss certain suggestions privately with a team member for the sake of clarity. Demonstrating my own commitment to intentionally improving myself as a person each year over the year before is contagious. Modeling intentional growth inspires others when they see the results.
I found that making myself a more valuable person has given me a more valuable team. By seeking to make myself a more valuable leader, I ended up growing into the 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player as a result.
Those Qualities Are:
BE ADAPTABLE: If you won’t change for the team, the team may change you
COLLABORATIVE: Working together precedes winning together
COMMITTED: There are no halfhearted champions
COMMUNICATIVE: A team is many voices with a single heart
COMPETENT: If you can’t, your team won’t
DEPENDABLE: Teams go to go–to players
DISCIPLINED: Where there’s a will, there’s a win
ENLARGING: Adding value to teammates is invaluable
ENTHUSIASTIC: Your heart is the source of energy for the team
INTENTIONAL: Make every action count
MISSION CONSCIOUS: The (big) picture is coming in loud and clear
PREPARED: Preparation can mean the difference between winning and losing
RELATIONAL: If you get along, others will go along
SELF – IMPROVING: To improve the team, improve yourself
SELFLESS: There Is No I in Team
SOLUTION ORIENTED: Make a resolution to find the solution
TENACIOUS: Never, Never, Never quit (1)
I encourage you to make next year your best year ever by not trying to become a person of success, but rather seek to become a person of value.
“If will you always give others more than what they pay for, they will always be paying you to give them more”
— JSP
(1) “The 17 Essential Qualities of a Team Player” by John C Maxwell
*** This article was authored by John Picarello, Chief Leadership Officer at Lions Pride Leadership Co.***