Attrition in Your Organization?
Can you have a deep down core change on your own?
“The Great Commission is not just a commission to be for self. It is a command to be obeyed. God has called us to go; there is no other option,” she said. “What would your life look like if you had nothing to lose? What would your life look like if you had nothing to prove? That’s the call of God on your life.”
-Heather Mercer
As I listened to Heather Mercer and revisit a couple of the questions she asked during her talk…“What would your life look like if you had nothing to lose? What would your life look like if you had nothing to prove?”…Wow, those are tough questions to think about and be honest with yourself. Why? Because in reality I do have something to lose and things to prove! At least the human side of me does. I think for many of us, myself included, we continue to look at a relationship with God completely in the wrong perspective.
If I was honest with myself and 100% completely sold out to God, then I truly wouldn’t have anything to lose or prove. However, in my daily thinking I have not surrendered to this fact. My thinking is I do have something to lose and prove. I have places “I” want to go. Yep, it is still all about me. I wish it wasn’t, but I just cannot seem to shake that way of acting deep down at my core. Let me clarify, I do not walk around conscientiously thinking this way, but if I stop and get honest with what is deep inside, then this is true.
Dealing with a Narcissistic Boss
Narcissistic Personality: a personality disorder characterized by extreme self-centeredness and self-absorption, fantasies involving unrealistic goals, an excessive need for attention and admiration, and disturbed interpersonal relationships.
Steven Demaio wrote and great post, “Leading When You Don’t Have Formal Authority”, In that post he talks about three principles. The one I liked the most and so often see is…
Demonstrate excellence without being cocky or solicitous of approval. “Bearing the burden of someone else’s ego is always a turn-off, whether the ego is already big or in need of puffing up. When an ego-driven person is your direct manager, you just hold your nose and do your best to perform in spite of the stench… Needy leaders are rarely inspiring.”
Just as an FYI to you…this is a problem that isn’t going to resolve itself, as vanity (excessive pride in one’s self, qualities, abilities, achievements) is rewarded in our society. Your ego driven boss is probably getting support from every one of his/her supervisors for this kind of behavior.
Taking the Next Hill
I don’t know about you, but I am the type of person who needs a challenge or a hill to climb to get motivated. I have found this to be true in both my professional and personal life and now I find it true in my spiritual life. In my professional life I love coming into a challenging situation with the odds stacked against me. Many times in these situations whatever task is at hand is not the popular choice with the masses. So, I typically find myself swimming against the current of the mainstream. These types of situations usually require confronting the current culture or environment that is already embedded in a work situation. To me, I see this as a hill; it motivates me, keeps me engaged and challenges me to work hard, set goals and see the changes that take place slowly over time. I have experienced this several times in my career and it is not a quick fix. It takes both time and I remaining constantly engaged to see it through. Staying constantly engaged is the key to success in this situation. With my personality and the need to “take” the hill it is not difficult to stay engaged.
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