The best leaders are others orientated. Their purpose points them in the direction of others. The focus is outward, not inward.
Others Orientated
Every year around this time, our community names it’s Citizen of the Year. As a city, we are involved in the nominating process. Once the person is selected, the objective becomes getting the recipient to the breakfast where the award is presented…without them knowing.
This year was no different. We had an extremely worthy person selected. Megan Strange is the Upper School Principal at North Cobb Christian School, the Missions Director at NorthStar Church, and most of all a great wife and mother. Megan is a subscriber to Leadership and Main and provides me with encouraging feedback on the messages. She is others orientated.
Our Deputy City Manager, Angie Luna, devised the plan to get her there. She used the most solid tactic to get an unsuspecting awardee to the event…to tell them someone close to them won the award. Megan was told that one of her team members at the school was receiving the award.
I’ve been involved in the selection of our Citizen of the Year for more than twenty years. This strategy always works like a charm, when the right person gets selected. The right person is always others orientated.
Here are a few thoughts on my observations over the years when the right person is selected for an award:
Excited For Others
When they get the news that the decoy is getting the award, they are always excited. The right Citizen of the Year is always genuinely joyful that the person they love and care for is being honored. They immediately become part of the plan to unknowingly receive the well-deserved award themselves. Hook, line, and sinker.
It’s what great leaders do, they get excited for others to be honored.
Don’t Seek It
The Citizen of the Year Award is not the only selection process I have been a part of either professionally or through volunteer service. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed the worst of the selection process to honor people as well. I’ve seen individuals advocate for themselves or request that others advocate for them in the process.
Not once have I ever cast my vote for these individuals or supported their request to nominate themselves. I never intend to either. Why? Because they are not others orientated.
The right person, never seeks it, they simply deserve it.
Authenticity Shines Through
When the right person wins an award I know the second that their name is called, they are completely off guard. Their humility doesn’t allow them to even begin to believe it could be them until their name is called.
In some cases, the recipient is given the opportunity to address the audience. This is the part of the program that can determine whether the right person was given the award or not.
A well scripted, prepared, and polished speech…maybe not the right person.
Trouble gathering emotions while fumbling around trying to find the right words…likely the right person. When all the person can do is be authentic and thank others who support them in their efforts…we have the right person.
Conclusion
The wrong recipient of an award is orientated towards selfish success. The problem is, awards are something physical that sits on a shelf and collects dust. One day, we will leave this world and they will mean absolutely nothing. Zero, zilch, nada. Our success will fade away, it’s not sustainable.
For my entire adult life, I have coached sports. Whether its baseball, football, or wrestling, our teams experienced a lot of success. I had all kinds of trophies and plaques to show for super bowls, state championships, district titles, league championships, and some coach of the year recognitions.
Confession. Years ago, I had intentions to finish the basement with trophy cases and plaques covering the walls. Essentially a shrine to James’s successes. Well, I HAD all those trophies and plaques. Several years ago, I decided to throw them all away. It wasn’t about me, never was.
Now, I find my awards in the kids I played a part in developing. My social media feeds is full of kids playing at the highest levels, those who have grown up to be contributing members of society, and those who have chosen the path to coach and invest in others themselves. In fact, I just coached in a high school wrestling tournament that had four former wrestlers coaching in it. No greater honor.
The right recipient of awards focuses on significance. Significance is found in the investment in others. When we are others orientated, the reward is legacy. Legacies live beyond us. They travel to generations of people we will never meet.
So…where are we pointed? Success or significance? Selfish or selfless? Pride or humility? Inward or outward?
Be others orientated.
