Stitches

Here’s a truth for you, “Leadership is a call, not a comfort.” Choosing to lead is a

decision to live on “the cutting edge,” and by cutting edge, I mean the edge that cuts!

Now physically, as many do, I, too, have suffered numerous cuts over the years, some

by my own hand and some by the hands of others, but no matter what the cause, the

consequences were the same, stitches!

While stitches can’t heal the body, they certainly serve as a mechanism to assist

the body with the healing process. But, what about those deep mental, emotional, and

sometimes physical cuts one experiences while serving in a leadership position? What

mechanism exists that can assist a hurting leader with that healing process?

Wise leaders develop a mechanism that assists them with re-balancing their

thoughts and actions whenever they find themselves stretched, stressed, or

overwhelmed by troubling circumstances that cut deep. I’ve spent a career developing

and delivering, through self-talk, a plethora of short sayings that have helped me

balance my thoughts and heal my heart. I call them my “sutures for the future” practice

of healthy leadership.

Here are a few of my seven word “sutures” that continue to serve my health as a

leader:

 Self-pity is a luxury for unsuccessful leaders.

 Humor is at the heart of leadership health.

 The greatest failure is failing to flourish.

 Nothing halts enthusiasm more than pessimistic leaders.

 Best advice: Let it go, honor today.

 Monday morning quarterbacks are useless fault finders.

 To lead wisely is to learn willfully.

What mechanism do you use?