The last 10 years there has been a major focus on leadership – to quote John C Maxwell a major leadership teacher in the USA “Everything Rises and fall on leadership”. I can certainly agree with JCM, but the question is where does leadership begins?. I have personally worked with leadership training and coaching in large and small organizations, the purpose of this leadership development has been to gain more efficient organizations, more productive employees, simply to get more done. I know the importance of good leadership in an organization, what good leadership does for personnel and performance, but where does real leadership begin?
I have had the honor in recent years to coach men in different situations. The starting point for the talks has usually been how to get better as leader at their job. When I ask the first question, the reaction is almost always the same – Big surprise. “What do you mean? should’t we talk about my leadership?” When I ask the question: Tell me about your family and marriage!
Leadership begins at home!
We can look at many research reports on how we can achieve an efficient organization and effective leadership. But the truth is much simpler than we think. I have worked with models that are research based, so there is no direct error in the findings, which says all people want to perform and when we perform we feel good! It is based on that people feel good when we do something. But my faith is something else, my faith says that I am loved for who I AM not for what I do. I know how good it feels when I complete a task, perform something, but if I do not feel loved, it means nothing.
So when I took note of the report “Marriage & Family Wellness: Corporate America’s Business?” I was not particularly surprised when the results were:
“Consistent and compelling research supports what CEOs know intuitively: employees who enjoy relational health at home, in their marriage, and among their peers are more productive and make better leaders. Our investigators show us that job satisfaction and marriage and family satisfaction actually feed each other … relational prosperity in the home and financial prosperity in business are linked together. Strong families led by strong marriages support strong businesses and ultimately, a strong community.
When companies invest in the physical and relational wellness of their workers, returns on investment can range between $1.50 and $6.85 for every dollar spent on these types of programs. “
I think it is none of us who are really surprised by this report, the question is what we do with it. We can continue to strive to gain worldly things and prioritize our work in the belief that it will ultimately benefit he family. Or maybe it’s time to take responsibility and encourage each other to make the right choice. I was walking on the wrong path to, I had been swallowed up by getting better and more efficient at work. But to ensure that was by becoming a better husband, a better father and a better friend surprised me at first. When I feel loved for who I am and not what I do, and when I love the people around me in the same way, we change not only ourselves but our marriages, workplaces and families.
”A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know That you are my disciples, if you love one another. “
John 13:34-35
