Feed the better need

In my early years of leading teams, I learned one of the most valuable lessons in

my leadership life. So simple, yet so true. It became known one day when I was at work

and one of my team members said, “You must have woken up on the wrong side of the

bed today.” I responded, “Why do you say that.” He said, “You’re giving us your beast,

not your best!” I just looked at him with a look that must have said, “Don’t bother me

anymore” because he walked away. The problem was he said it aloud and forced me to

consider my personal issues.

I have heard it said, you are what you eat, and to some extent that statement is

true, but a statement that is always and fully true in the realm of leadership is this,

“What you feed, takes the lead.” If I feed my frustrations, my frustrations will lead me. If I

feed my fear, my fear will lead me. If I feed my anger, my anger will lead me. If I feed my

insecurities, my insecurities will lead me. If I feed my irritations, my irritations will lead

me. If I feed my dislike’s, my dislike’s will lead me. As a leader, whatever you feed will

take the lead. Like I have always said, “for a leader, the ‘a’ in the word lead is

accountability, without it we are simply led.”

My friend’s comment above made me have to both take account of what “need” I

was feeding and give account as to why I was feeding it. I realized I was spending my

time feeding what I disliked about our operations instead of what I liked. Pretty soon my

whole thought structure centered around the term “dislike” which discolored everything.

It was like wearing red lensed glasses and all I could see was red, hence the “beast”

comment. What I needed to do was to “feed the better need” by choosing to step back,

gain a clear perspective on being and giving my best, make myself accountable to the

principles of authentic leadership, and honor the people I was privileged to lead.

Every leader should always “feed the better need” to lead well, and authentic

leaders do just that. Are you?