“Good-tempered leaders invigorate lives; they’re like spring rain and sunshine.”[1]“That was easy!” Staples
Do you remember the “Easy” button created as an advertisement by [2] STAPLES? They wanted to invigorate or refresh the business community by giving them something that would be easy. Bring your documents, your needs, all your offices logistics to Staples and they would make life “easy” for you. Coming to staples was like pushing the “easy” button. Life in your office could be refreshed by simply pushing the “easy” button. Leaders invigorate because they give people the “easy” button. They make themselves easy to please. They are cheerful, they are generous, they are courteous, and they are expectant. I did not say that leaders are “easy” on their followers. I said they make it easy to follow them.
Cheerfulness
Good tempered leaders are cheerful. Ronald Reagan was such a leader. He was always smiling. He was so inspiring to listen to. He was even cheerful after he was shot. It was soon reported that before he was put under to remove the bullet by surgeons that he quipped, “I hope you’re all Republicans.”[3] Ask yourself why this little quote was let out. It was deliberate. He was trying to invigorate the country with hope about his situation and our situation in our country.
Winston Churchill gave this cheerful quote when he was Prime Minister of England. He said, “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm” –Winston Churchill[4] I want to encourage you to hit the refresh button on your office, on your family, and on your situation. Cheerfulness is a choice. Cheerfulness is so essential a whole group is made available by every NFL team, every NBA team, every college and university, high school and even most parks have their own cheer leaders to invigorate their followers. In your business you are the most important cheer leader! Get in there with your team and be the cheer leader they need. It will refresh them.
“So of cheerfulness, or a good temper, the more it is spent, the more it remains.” Ralph Waldo Emerson[5]
Generosity
“As the sword of the best tempered metal is most flexible, so the truly generous are most pliant and courteous in their behavior to their inferiors” Thomas Fuller[6]
What does it mean to be generous in the work place as a leader? I think it means being available. I think it means living out what you are asking your team to do. In the real world of leading people the old axis of hierarchy is dying. The importance of a leadership chart is diminishing. Those that lead recognize that every job is significant and that every team member is significant. The chart is now upside down. At the top is the team. At the bottom is the leader. Leaders who invigorate are generous with their time and value relationships as much as they value results. In the book the 5 dysfunctions of Team this is one of the most devastating things that can happen, to have a leader value results more than relationships. Generosity is about what you can give to the team and not about what you can get accomplished with the team. Check out this quote by Orison Swett Marden, he said.
“We must give more in order to get more. It is the generous giving of ourselves that produces the generous harvest.”[7]
Leaders who are generous with their teams invigorate the work place creating a dynamic synergy that is highly productive.
Courteousness
Courtesy is all about how we respond to those who we have authority over and to those who have authority over us. There is a huge importance to having a code for the way we talk in the office and about our homes. It is also significant not to make too light of how we dress and our appearance in these venues. It is a matter of respect. Paul told the church to watch how they treated those who were slaves who had come to Christ because there were no distinctions in heaven and that they too had a boss, Jesus. I think manners are refreshing. Having the proper response to someone in authority, and responding politely to those who are under your authority are essential for creating a work place, a home, and a life that are refreshing.
I love to take my children out to eat. One rule is always on when we are eating out. When you address our waiter you must be polite and use the words, “May I, Please, and thank you.” It is polite to call the waiter by name if you can remember it and to thank them for their service. I have found that waiters love to wait on our table. I have found that they generally compliment us on how well mannered my wife’s children behave. The reason for this is that it is refreshing to wait on people who value you and demonstrate that value with courteous words and actions. One final action for courteous behavior while out. Leave a good tip! Here’s a tip for you. Courteousness in the business world is being lost why not be a refreshing breath of freshness by bringing it back.
Courteous behavior starts with the leader. Leaders who value relationships and results understand the importance of their words and their actions. Do the simple things like help someone who asks. Be available. Keep private issues private. Be friendly and use the magic words yourself. You know them. They are “Please and thank you”!
Expectant
Leaders who are good tempered are expectant while being generous, courteous, and cheerful. I didn’t say they were a pushover. There is no I in team, but there is in win. When the leader puts others first, the team rallies to produce in incredible ways. Have faith in these values. Leaders believe in the values they practice. What are your expectations of those that you work for if you are depressing, demanding, and disrespecting those who are on your team? Who wants to work hard in that environment?
Every computer browser has a refresh button. It usually has two arrows going in a circle but opposite directions. I have noticed that when your browser page becomes ineffective you can refresh the page and suddenly it is ready and willing to do what you are asking it. If as leader’s we will be cheerful, generous, courteous, and expectant of the values we are leading with it is like hitting the refresh button.
“...Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”[8]
Discussion:
How has your attitude been toward your team this week?
What are some ways you are cheering on your team?
How as a leader can you be more generous to your team?
What role does courteousness play in your work place, home, and life?
How do you hold each other accountable for courteous behavior?
Do you expect that practicing these values will produce a productive workplace, home and life? Explain?
[1]NLT, Proverbs 16:15
[2] Kenpardue.com/ February 5, 2009; 10:40 AM
[3] http://politicalhumor.about.com/cs/quotethis/a/reaganquotes.htm/ February 5,2009; 10:55 AM
[4] http://hubpages.com/hub/Motivation-quotes/ February 5, 2009; 11 AM
[5] http://thinkexist.com/search/searchquotation.asp?search=good+tempered+/ February 5, 2009; 10:25 AM
[6] Ibid 2. February 5, 2009; 10:27 AM
[7] http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/generous/ February 5, 2009; 2:55 PM
[8] NLT, Proverbs 11:25
