Different Than Me

#Beingaleader means you need people around you that are different than you are. Different in perspective. Different in style. Different in skill set. Different temperament.

We hear a lot about diversity and inclusion. In the marketplace. In church. In politics. In society at large. This is not a post about racial or gender diversity specifically but they can play a part in the conversation or conclusion.

Specifically, I am talking about diversity of ways of thinking; ways of doing things. All too often I see leaders surround themselves with people just like them. People that have the same skill sets, personality or communication style.

If you want to be an effective leader you need to have the forethought to surround yourself with different people than yourself. Otherwise, how will you accomplish all that you want to accomplish if the only skill sets available are the same ones that you already have? How will you see your blind spots or tackle a problem from a different angle?

I know that this leads to other complications, issues, hurts, misunderstandings and exasperation. There will be conflict. There will be challenges to your thinking and way of doing things. But let me challenge you: be intentional about surrounding yourself with people who react or act differently than yourself. If you are a disorganized person by nature, find someone near you that is organized. Don’t just accept the way you are by surrounding yourself with other disorganized people. If you are a great verbal communicator but have weakness in writing than find a good writer. If you are not a dreamer than find one to be on your team.

#Beingaleader means you need people around you that are different that you. Diversity by itself doesn’t make us stronger or better but used strategically to round out the structure of your team, diversity of thought and style can indeed make the team more likely to achieve goals and accomplish great things.