If it wasn’t for people . . . there wouldn’t be an image.
Lessons in faith, prayer, and leadership are lessons about you, God, and influencing people. We’ve said that exercising leadership is about making people responsible for the work, a simple statement that has within it complex concepts. People are complex.
Much of a leader’s responsibility is about CARE and support for the people that have been placed before him or her—many people or just a few, all those people are important. They are important because in any organization it takes all the people to achieve success. If all the people were not required, then they wouldn’t be there. They are all important to move the organization forward.
I recall a time when I was Commander of Air Force Special Operations Command, a position of privilege and honor serving the finest Air Commando Warriors in the world. One day, just taking a break, leaning against my office door, a young airman entered the outer office to drop off papers for my secretary. He then came up to me and said, “Sir you must have a really important job.” So, I asked him what he did, and he replied, “I’m an MC-130 Combat Talon engine mechanic.” To that I said, I think you’re the one with the really important job. You see, if the MC-130 engine doesn’t start, the airplane doesn’t take off and if the airplane doesn’t take off, the Navy SEALS and Army Special Forces Soldiers don’t make it to the target and the mission is a failure. So, you’re the one with the very important job. You see, all I can do is sit behind this desk, move paper from one side to the other (pre-email), occasionally get out and about and offer encouragement to each of you, and then work tirelessly to be sure you have the tools to do the job. Airmen are the ones that do the work.
My responsibility was to support and love all the people in the organization; not just the ones I knew personally or the ones I liked, but to all the people. All the people are important and therein lies a key principle. That principle is that each of us is made in the image of God; it says so in the first chapter of the Bible. We may not look like God, but our hearts, souls, and minds were created to reflect His image. God loves all the people all the time and that is why the ONE gave His life for yours. Get to know that person, Jesus, He knows and loves you and is always there, and you can reflect His image. See my book, Growing and Building to learn more.
