Each day, I reflect upon the journey of servant leadership, what I now define as “relational leadership.” Although I certainly do not intend to make this a post with any religious overtones, I’ve found the bible has an amazing quote that shapes my thinking on this topic. “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” This simple statement has been a calling for all these years to understand that no one is alone. To improve yourself, there is a mutual benefit of improving others through mentorship, followership, and leading.
Iron sharpening Iron, from a practical standpoint, means there is a tremendous benefit to rubbing blades together, forging, and making the edges sharper and more efficient. Iron will always be in some form or shape, but what you do with it will make a difference. The more time you spend paying attention to your tools and how you “forge” your relationships and presence, the stronger the other objects (others) become.
The Iron Sharpens Iron principle will give you a focused set of ideas that can be applied to your personal and professional life. You will find that every leadership book’s premise is to improve yourself or your organization to achieve higher performance levels. The principles within my “Leadership Mindset” posts can be used to fine-tune yourself as you look in the mirror, or they can be utilized as lessons to teach your team. Each principle is a lesson in understanding the human dynamic of effective leadership.
This is a simple explanation of tried and true combinations that I have seen work for over thirty years from the individual level, the small group dynamic, or large complex organizations. I will not pretend to make you believe I have created new unexplored leadership theories, but rather, I will offer you an idea of how to execute effectively and what I have discovered to be the secret ingredients to improve yourself and your organization no matter the size. I always look forward to your comments and remember…NEVER be afraid to LEAD!
