There are people in life who are suckers….they suck the life out of you. They suck energy. They suck passion.
The day could be going really well and then you receive a phone call or an email and all that was positive gets sucked out…Suckers.
If you lead, you will encounter suckers.
That comes with the leadership territory. Suckers are unavoidable. The biggest question is what should you do when encountering suckers?
- Love them. Hear them out. Most people don’t need to get their way all the time. What everyone needs is to be heard. Hear people out.
- When you hear suckers speak, you’re going to feel defensive. Stay calm. Keep your focus. Defensiveness will disable you from your best thinking and best leadership.
- When you lead change there are bound to be people who don’t like where you’re leading because they are perfectly happy with the way things are. So when you’re leading change, expect suckers.
- Recognize that you are both trying to do what’s best for the church, organization, etc. Recognize that you are on the same team. Remind one another that we don’t always get our way.
- Finally, know that to some people in your church or organization, you are the sucker. So the next time you get that sucking feeling, cut them some slack and demonstrate grace.
Finally, here’s the thing about suckers…well, most suckers…they don’t know that they suck. They really do believe that they are doing what’s best for the church, the organization, for you. They believe that what they are doing is helping. Very few people go around intentionally wanting to suck. And here’s the thing, sometimes they are right. But if you’re angry and defensive, you’ll never know that. Keep your focus. Keep the vision in mind. Keep leading.
You are there to lead. Keep your focus. Keep the vision at the forefront.
Praxis: Faith in Action 