christopherhildreth

We often find we have a lot of people giving a lot of options as to how our life should be lived. Many do this because they are convinced that they “have our best interest” at heart, or that they have a better perspective of our life from “outside”.

I will be the first to say that having input from trusted people is a must in our lives, especially when you are in a position of leadership and given influence. That being said, these people are not random – they are chosen because of their knowledge of you as a person and leader. They have the ability to sift through personality to character.

We all have different personalities. I’ve worked with people who were very meticulous in their approach, but I’ve also worked for guys who were anything but hands-on. Those are personality differences. Anger issues and control problems are something entirely different.

I’ve been chewed out during a service on the platform and maintained a smile, but it was a point of evaluating that there existed a character issue that would not be solved by simple discussion. I’ve also asked that communication about service information be handled better – this is a personality issue, and was solved quickly and painlessly; the former situation resulted in my leaving a place of employment.

In every position and situation, self honesty is the most important thing to keep front and center. You are living your life and ultimately it will be you who literally lives with the results of your decisions. Input from others is great and necessary, but that input cannot run your life and make decisions for you. Weigh your choices and go with what you know is right for you at that time. Only then can you weather criticism and praise and come through either with confidence and a level head – both of which seem to become more rare the further up the leadership pipeline you go.