Inspiring Greatness At Work

Perhaps you lead a team, serve as a coach, are the boss at work, or own your own business. You have people who look to you and answer to you. One of the most significant questions you face is, how can I help these people be their best? If you are a sports coach, you are looking for the keys to maximize the potential of every player. You get into their psyche and begin to understand them, and then you give them what they need to excel. You may have your own style, but if you have a player who doesn't respond to it, you won't see them reach their potential under you.

I was watching a Simon Sinek video in which he shared a story about a barista. He asked the barista if he liked his job, and the barista answered with a strong "yes." He then asked him why. The barista said that his manager at the coffee shop cared about him and would regularly ask him how he was doing and if there was anything that he could do to make the barista's job better. In addition, the barista mentioned that the hotel where the coffee shop was located had numerous managers from other departments and assistant managers who would also stop by periodically to ask him how things were going and if there was anything they could do to improve his job. Even the hotel manager would occasionally ask the same questions. This barista had another job at a coffee shop in another hotel. It was the opposite there. It was evident that nobody cared about him or his performance. He hated that job.

I watched a famous YouTuber who interviews wealthy individuals on the street and asks them questions about how they achieve success. One man had made his first million by the age of 28. He has owned several billion-dollar companies. He talked about investing in Africa and other topics. Then, he pivoted to lessons he had learned early on in his career. He had an encounter with Jesus and learned that wealth had far nobler purposes than mere partying and enjoyment. He said his key to building companies was to care for the people of the company.

I was watching the YouTuber, recalling the Simon Sinek video, and I thought, why don't more people do this? Why are there still managers and bosses that are jerks to their employees? Additionally, as a Christian, I considered the Christian realm of non-profits and churches. Shouldn't we be leading the culture by caring for the people who work for us or are part of our teams? Sadly, I wasn't encouraging like I am today when I pastored. It doesn't make sense! How about you? Do you intimidate people? Do you rule with an iron fist? Are people afraid to cross you or even disagree with you? Do you genuinely care about what's going on with your employees, or are you just interested in their performance? As ministers, we may not run an organization to increase financial profits, but inspiring and creating an atmosphere where people can thrive makes sense.

Total Life Pursuit was created on the premise that every area of life is important to God. Furthermore, if you are lacking in one area of life, you will likely be held back in other areas as well. It is like having six chains that are all linked together at the end, from which you pull your load. You will never get further from your load than the shortest chain. It is similar in life. Your financial picture will never reach its potential if your health is poor. Your marriage will never be what it could be without you being able to regulate emotionally. A lack of connection with your Creator will hold back your mental fortitude. We want to think that we can eat whatever we want and it won't affect any other parts of our lives, but that is not true at all. We are gifted with the ability to thrive in life. Jesus gave that to us! (John 10:10) It seems to me that we have the pleasure and opportunity to help others thrive.

If you have a team, employees, or anyone you lead or coach, help them reach a state of thriving! One way to do that is to care. Ask questions and wait for the answers. Respond appropriately to the answers. You can't fix their life, but you can be a person who cares about them and provides them with tools to live remarkably, at least within the context of your relationship. Ask them about their goals, their systems for achieving them, and what accomplishments they would like to achieve. If there's anything you can do to help them with that, ask them about it. Ask them what they are looking forward to in the near future. Ask questions! People who are cared for will perform better and enjoy their work even more.

For me, it isn't so much about performance as it is about igniting something in people that enables them to excel. I want them to grow. I want them to experience the remarkable life that Jesus came to give them. As you and I do that, the people will benefit, and so will the organization.