Friends

One of the downsides to #Beingaleader can be the feeling that you cannot have real friends. We have colleagues. We have followers. But not many friends. Oftentimes, leaders shy away from having friends for some reason or another but it is to their disadvantage to do so. In fact, you need friends more than anyone else as you need those that can speak into your life and give you refreshment from the tasks that you are called to do.

The truth is #Beingaleader just means you need to pick your friends carefully. Oftentimes they are ones that are leaders themselves. Ones that will carry you when needed and allow you to carry them when needed. Ones that stay the course. Ones that input into your life and allow you to input into theirs. I lost one of those friends this week.

We did not spend an inordinate amount of time together because we each had our areas of responsibility. Our paths crossed in those various settings and we always had a good word for each other but usually in those settings we were both doing other things and doing them with other people. But there was a connection. An understanding.

What I will cherish, however, isn’t really any of those casual times. What I will cherish are the many non-public times we had together. For the past six years we have not only been friends but we have been neighbors. More than wave as they drive by neighbors. In each other’s homes type neighbors. Friends. The type that will pull his tractor into the shade and wait for me to finish a pass with my zero turn to have a time of refreshment together. Just talking. As friends. Hard to replace type friend.

#Beingaleader means you need real friends. Friends that make you a better leader. A better person. That’s exactly what my friend did for me.