As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. – Proverbs 27:17
Stop by any convenience store and one of the things that most of them will offer to you is some form of fuel reward or perk program to earn your business over time.
As a “reward” member, you will earn points that will allow you to save money on fuel and food among other things. In addition to convenience stores, many other retail stores use the same approach. How many points do you have on your Starbucks app?
From a retail and marketing approach, reward points are both a common and popular way of garnering business and offering incentives to loyal customers who frequent their business. It’s a win-win for everyone.
As a leader, you are engaged in varying degrees of relationships with those around you. To that end, your level of influence with each one varies depending on that proximity.
For example, everyone has a general network of friends and acquaintances. They may be people you know at work, people you worship with at church, or people you know from your yoga class at the gym. They are good people and you enjoy being around them.
Now think about those closest to you – your inner circle. These are the ones with whom you have forged a deeper relationship with by design and that you by and large do life with. These people make up your tribe of close confidants, mentors or mentees, and the like. These are the people with you through thick and thin, in the good times and bad. You can count on them and they can count on you.
Think about the “rewards” you offer to people around you – be they in your broader circle of friends, or your inner circle. What should those reward points look like? Here are just a few for consideration.
The reward of your trust
The foundational quality of any leader is trust. Those in your inner circle need to know that in all things you are a trustworthy person. When trust is the foundation of the value that you bring to your leadership, it will be evident in your words and your actions.
The reward point for others is that they know that you are a person they can trust.
The reward of your loyalty
A close second is the reward of loyalty. When you are known as a leader and friend who is loyal you will endear yourself immensely to those around you. When trust is given, loyalty is earned. When loyalty is earned, trust is secured.
The reward point for others is that they know that you will always have their back.
The reward of your encouragement
I once heard it said that the best way to know if someone needs encouragement is determined by whether or not they have a pulse. If they do, they need encouragement. Anyone can be negative and find fault, but when people are in your company it ought to be a time of being uplifted and encouraged.
The reward point for others is that they leave you better off than when they came.
The reward of your counsel
One of the rewards for others in your sphere of influence is that they benefit from your counsel. In the same way, you can benefit from the wisdom and counsel of others in your circle. As iron sharpens iron, so one person can sharpen the other and this is the beauty of selfless leadership.
The reward point for others is that they know you have their best interest at heart and you want to see them succeed.
Final Thoughts
John Maxwell stated, “To add value, leaders must give of themselves, and that rarely happens by accident.” And this is your goal as a leader – intentionally adding value to those around you every day.
©2024 Doug Dickerson
