I’ve never been good at golf but I do get my money’s worth when I’ve played – assuming you calculate value as being strokes per dollar (and I get lots of strokes)! People have told me that I could improve my game with more practice because the dozens of basic little things I need to think about would become second nature. And when the basics come naturally, you can focus your attention on the finer points that drive much more significant improvement.
Values are the same way. Once you practice them in your daily life enough, the basics start to become second nature. All of your words and actions are more respectful from the start. You enjoy engaging with others and the world around you. It’s easier to accept those whose opinions are different than your own. And all of this is demonstrated in the way you step up and lead, regardless of what situation you find yourself in.
St. Paul tells Christians to “pray without ceasing.” Does that mean to stop everything else, drop to your knees, and simply pray all day long? No, of course not. What it means is that everything you do should reflect a Christian spirituality, so that everything you do becomes a prayer. If you’re not a Christian – or not even religious at all – this is still an important lesson to learn!
A leader needs to practice basic values until she no longer needs to even think about them and they just come naturally. Once that happens, she can focus on the finer points of leadership and truly take it to the next level. Unlike my golf playing, she won’t just be swinging wildly and hoping for a lucky shot – but will be thoughtfully and intentionally improving her skills every day!
So What?
Respect. Engage. Accept. Lead. It’s a simple formula, so it’s definitely something anyone can practice until it becomes second nature. And when fundamental values guide your words and actions without requiring conscious thought, your impact and influence will continue to grow.
Now What?
Journal Prompts: Think about what you happened yesterday – who you interacted with, what you said, or things that you did. Were your words and actions respectful? How so? Why or why not?
Next Actions: Tomorrow, focus on one of the REAL values and intentionally practice it all day, in everything that you do!
Further Reading: Our God is active and has chosen you for greatness, even if you’re focused on making it through your next meeting, as Nick discusses in his reflection on the Scriptures for the 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A).