In my college days living in a dorm, a sneaky game was played by people who really wanted to get a dose of serious self awareness. Here’s how it worked.
You sit chatting with two guys who share a room. Then you get up to leave, shut off the lights, open and close the door, but don’t leave. Then you stand in the dark and hear what they say about you, thinking you’ve left the room. This is the brutal truth method of gaining self awareness that most people usually played only once!
You’re the last to know what people really think about you. So here’s a milder checklist to self assess whether or not you’re viewed as a leader, or as just another person in the crowd.
Leaders:
- Take action
- Take initiative to build and repair relationships
- Set priorities in their calendars
- Work to build into the lives of others
- Care more about the welfare of the organization and of co-workers than of themselves
Followers on the other hand:
- React to everyone else
- Wait for someone to talk to them or hope another person will say sorry
- Let their calendars be completely filled up by other people
- Think about themselves more than the welfare of the organization and of co-workers
If you want to be respected and loved, think about everyone else before yourself, and people will have good things to say about you when you’re not around!
Getting ahead is about getting started!
