I have made it my mission in life to give as much as I have been given, to forgive as much as I have been forgiven, and to lead as excellently as I have been led. I have been very blessed. God has given, forgiven, and led me in ways that I never could have imagined; I believe it is my job to extend that same grace to those around me. These three things, giving, forgiving, and leadership, are core values in my life. They drive everything I do from the decisions I make to the relationships I invest in. My values are my compass; they lead me through the ever-changing seasons of life. These values not only guide my personal life, but my professional life as well. I want to be a person who gives, forgives, and leads with excellence in every role in my life, whether it be my role as a father, friend, or boss. These three values have set the tone for my relationships. [bctt tweet="My values are my compass; they lead me through the ever-changing seasons of life." username="dukematlock"] I have found that values set culture; the things that are important to you create the atmosphere in which you work and live. One value in particular, the value of forgiveness, makes an incredible impact in leadership. A forgiving leader has the ability to earn trust, maintain relationships, and inspire loyalty in a way that would otherwise be impossible. Many things create a highly productive team culture; things like clear expectations, vision buy-in, and creative freedom all contribute to making sure your team works well together. But what I’m talking about today goes beyond the work that your team produces. Expectations are about caring for the work of your team’s hands; forgiveness is about caring for the soul of your team. A forgiving leader understands that excellent work is a natural consequence of a team that has taken care of its soul. In his book Scary Close, Donald Miller says this about forgiving leaders: “The greatest leaders, the ones who impact the world the most, are somehow able to turn the other cheek. It’s as though they believe so solidly in love, so robustly in forgiveness, they have the ability to forgive and even love those who attack them.” I love the language he uses here; “they believe so solidly in love, so robustly in forgiveness…” That is powerful imagery! Forgiving leaders do not forgive because they think it might be a good idea; they do so because they believe so strongly in the power of forgiveness. Forgiveness is not a suggestion or an idea; it is a mandate for these kinds of leaders. When we as leaders forgive, we affirm the value of those on our team. The work that is produced is incredibly important, but not nearly as important as recognizing the worth of each person on our staff. Forgiveness protects and nurtures relationships; it reminds us that we are more than the work we do. A forgiving leader believes that the worst thing a team member can do is not fail; the worst thing a team member can do is allow fear or hesitation to paralyze them. A culture of forgiveness is a culture of innovation, creativity, and collaboration. Forgiving leaders give the people they lead an opportunity to be great by affirming value and creating a culture of trust. The value of forgiveness on a team drives out fear and hesitation. [bctt tweet="A culture of forgiveness is a culture of innovation, creativity, and collaboration." username="dukematlock"] I want to lead like this. I want to inspire my team to excellence through trust, forgiveness, and recognizing their worth. I want you to lead this way as well. I believe that this concept has the ability to transform the way your team works and interacts. Forgiveness is powerful.
LIKE THIS POST?
Sign up to receive my posts via email and get a FREE copy of 21 Actions to Jumpstart Momentum!
[activecampaign form=3]]]>