You’re surrounded by imperfection. Everyone has a handful of strengths and a bucketful of weaknesses.
If strengths smelled like warm cookies and weaknesses smelled like wet dog, everyone would stink.
Overcome frustration with imperfection by accepting imperfection in yourself AND others.
3 truths about acceptance:
- Acceptance isn’t approval.
- Acceptance isn’t giving up.
- Acceptance is the foundation for influence and improvement.
You can’t antagonize and influence at the same time.
Say it out loud:
I accept my boss.
I accept my organization.
I accept the people on my team.
Four options If you can’t accept your imperfect boss, organization, or team.
- Get a new boss.
- Get a new team.
- Get a new organization.
- First, change yourself.
Change:
Frustrated people focus on changing others. But success begins when you first change yourself.
Work to change yourself before working to change others.
- “What should I do?” comes before, “They should.”
- “How might I change?” comes before, “They need to change.”
- “What can I learn?” comes before, “I need to teach them.”
Meddle with yourself before you meddle with others.
Reflection questions:
- You’re frustrated with silos in your organization. What are you allowing that causes or sustains silos?
- You feel left out of the loop. How are you leaving people out of the loop?
- A team member irritates you. How might this team member reflect something that needs to change in you?
- Lack of clear direction at work frustrates you. How might you seek direction?
- Others are boring. What if you’re boring?
Reflecting on imperfection in others is self-affirming. But self-reflection is where growth begins.
You may be superior to others, but leaders don’t stand aloof.
Today’s projects:
Walk around honoring and respecting the good, even while improving deficiencies.
When irritated, think, “Who do I need to become so I can lead imperfect others?”
How might leaders survive and thrive in imperfect organizations?
