People are not Things

People are not things. People are emotional beings, having their own desires and aspirations. If you are going to get the best out of them, you must treat them as such. You must never exclude their heart. For, that is the soul, the engine room of man. Touch his soul, his heart, the right way, and he’ll willingly die for you. He is looking for someone, something to partner with.

"You manage things; you lead people."  – Admiral Grace Murray Hopper

Hence, when we deal with people, we approach them with a heart. We seek for effectiveness, not efficiency. People are no tools to be used. We use things. People are not things. We work (partner) with people. They are living beings to be related with, to be connected with, to be partnered with and cultivated. Efficiency deals with Things. We make things efficient. Effectiveness deals with People. We make people effective by empowering them.

"We herd sheep, we drive cattle, we lead people. Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way."  – George S. Patton

People are willing followers of those who cultivate them aright. Hence, if you have a problem with leading people, the first place to check is your leadership skills. Are you connecting? Are you meeting them where they are? Or, are you simply doing your own thing, hoping and wishing people will follow? As Hybels rightly noted, “Everything rises or falls based on leadership!”

"You do not lead by hitting people over the head - that's assault, not leadership."  – Dwight D. Eisenhower

And, how important is this? Research shows about 85% of your financial success is dependent on it. Is that substantial enough for you? It is not all about what you know. It is about how you can get it to work. It is about how you can get the innate abilities of many to work on your behalf, in achieving your goals.

"Encouraging others can be the catalyst to unleashing their greatness."  – Rob Liano

"To encourage me is to believe in me, which gives me the power to defeat dragons."  – Richelle E. Goodrich

You can’t do it on your own. Even if you force people to work for you, you can’t get the very best out of them. The only way to optimal effectiveness is leadership. And, leadership is about making right connection with people. Let’s get about connecting. Let's get about leading.

© 2017 Akin Akinbodunse

Link Similar Article:

Let's Connect

Links to Other Resources:

The Leader in You (Dale Carnegie)
How to Win Friends & Influence People (Dale Carnegie)
How to Win Friends and Influence People for Teen Girls (Donna Dale Carnegie)