From the desk of Kelsey Buell,
I was listening to the radio recently and singing along with the lyrics.
It got me thinking, how in the world did I have these song lyrics memorized in the first place?
In fact, I don’t even remember the first time I heard this song or how old I was…
For all I knew, I could have heard it for the first time years and years ago.
Ultimately, I had to have heard it numerous times in order to have the song lyrics memorized.
You could call it memorization by osmosis. By simply spontaneously hearing it from time to time, it all of a sudden was engrained in me.
So what do leadership and music have in common?
They both take practice and repetition in order to get good at them.
I often hear leaders saying in frustration.
“Why didn’t my employee get the task done?”….or…
“Why didn’t they listen to me?”….
On average, most employees need to hear the concept about 7 times before they fully understand it.
Also, I typically find that people don’t finish a task when they don’t feel good about themselves completing it. Usually there is a fear happening.
On top of that, when it comes to training someone new, you should spend 5 times as much time training them as it takes you to personally complete the task. So if it takes you 5 minutes to complete the task, you should spend 25 minutes training them.
It’s common to think if we tell someone something once, they should have it down just as well as we do, right? WRONG.
At the end of the day, the biggest advice I could offer up towards you as a leader is to practice patience.
In the same way that parenting causes you to slow down and be patient with your child, leadership will cause you to slow down and be patient with your employees.
In the same way you have to be patient with yourself to learn a new musical instrument or to master a new skill, be patient with those around you. It’ll surely pay off.
The next time you have to repeat instructions to someone instead of getting frustrated, take a deep breath and remember to have patience.
So why is it so important to have patience with others as a leader?
- Skill Development: People often need time to develop new skills or enhance existing ones.
- Mistakes as Learning Opportunities: Patience enables leaders to view mistakes as opportunities for learning and improvement rather than as failures. This promotes a positive and constructive work environment.
- Effective Communication: Patience allows leaders to listen actively and understand the perspectives and concerns of their team members. This fosters open and effective communication.
- Understanding Different Perspectives: When conflicts arise, patience helps leaders understand the various perspectives involved. It allows for a more thoughtful and comprehensive approach to conflict resolution.
- Acknowledging Progress: Leaders who are patient recognize and acknowledge the progress of their team members, boosting motivation and job satisfaction.
- Dealing with Change: Patience is vital in times of change or uncertainty. It allows leaders to adapt to new circumstances, manage transitions effectively, and guide their teams through challenges.
Being patient in leadership is not about accepting mediocrity but rather about understanding that individuals have different learning curves, communication styles, and ways of approaching challenges.
Furthermore, what does the Bible have to say about being patient with other people?
- Colossians 3:12-13 (New International Version): “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”
- Ephesians 4:1-3 (New International Version): “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.”
- Proverbs 14:29 (New International Version): “Whoever is patient has great understanding, but one who is quick-tempered displays folly.”
