subject: Develop Your Support System [print this page] If you look at the life of any successful person you will see that it took the help of a lot of people to get him there. No man can do it all alone. Even the best athletes of all time needed a support system to help them to be successful. This applies not only to the athlete but the businessman or woman, or even middle or upper level manager.
You may be the best in the world at what you do, but what about those things that you cant do. You cant do it all. In order for you to maintain excellence in all things you need people with you who are excellent in their own areas. Remember that any chain is only as
strong as its weakest link. Dont lose yourself in the fact that you are the top dog. You need people who will take care of all of the minute details which may serve to interfere with your royal dogship. Many times when we are the limelight we forget about the support crew which keeps us there. The prettiest face in the world belongs to a body which also has toes. Those toes may not be much to look at but they are needed to support that beautiful face which gets the attention. If one of them is hurting or gets out of whack some way you can bet that it will show up in the expression of that pretty face.
Recognize the need for others and recognize the value of what they do. We will look at the glamour positions and forget about the service positions. You also need to let those underneath you know how much that you appreciate their help. An appreciated person will work harder for you. They will really respect you if they see that the appreciation is genuine. Dont fake it because they will know when you do. Take some time to really learn about what they do for you.
Dont forget where you come from either. A good leader must first be a good follower. It would help you to appreciate your people more if you go do their job with them every once in awhile. They will certainly appreciate you for it. Wash dishes with the dishwasher. Sweep floors with the sweeper. If you show the attitude that says that these jobs are beneath you how do you think that attitude will make your followers feel? Im just using those two titles to make a point but I believe you know what I mean here.
No one has ever succeeded without the help of other people. You wont be the first. Many times the price of power is that we forget to respect others. The lowest of the low can help you probably more than you realize. Let me give you an example from my own personal life. My wife and I once experienced a flat tire late at night on a two lane road on a long road trip. Since it was dark and I didnt have a flashlight the going was slow. Many people passed us by that night. I remember two people stopping to help us. They were both driving older vehicles which didnt seem as if they were going to last much longer. Yet none of the people driving later model vehicles stopped to offer any assistance. The poorer people could appreciate our predicament because I am sure that they knew how it felt to be stranded late at night. Do you understand what I am driving at here? You need to appreciate what your helpers go through for you.
The last person who stopped had to leave because he helped until he had made himself late for work. He did give us his flashlight so that I could see how to finish the job.
Develop a support system which is mutual. If you support them they will support you. Start with your immediate family. Nurture their love and appreciation and you may be surprised at how a valuable a resource that they really can be. I have found that the people who serve under you can really make life wonderful but they must be motivated to do all that they can for you.
