Caring is sharing

I don't know if you have children or not but if you do, you have probably seen the Carebears movie several hundred times. The multicolored bears go about helping children by blasting all who cause trouble by shooting lazes from their bellies destroying all who oppose their agenda of love. One of their motto's is "caring is sharing."

In some ways we smile and say "aww, what a cute little gimmick for the children." Or at least I do... But as I look at the company I work for now, and the companies I have worked for, and more importantly the type of company I someday want to own, I realize that the caring is sharing statement can be very relevant to leadership in business and really anywhere in life.

We often times glorify the position of leader or manager or CEO. In our minds those people hold lofty positions where they don't have to work but reap the the rewards of all the work of the little people under them. There are some people at the top who would agree with that as well.

I want to assert the idea that if we really care for those who are under us that we would share what we have. Also, as a leader their is a very basic fact that whatever we think we have accomplished as leaders we must admit we did so only by the effort, blood, sweat,and tears of those under us.

I also believe we sometimes forget to ask ourselves and important question about those who are "under" us. Why did they and do they follow me? If you are married, a pastor, or manager of a business, answering with, "because they have to." Is pretty lame. If you know and believe in Jesus I should not have to list his example when it comes to servant leadership. If your don't, or even if you do but compartmentalize your religion from your work, lets look a little more closely at the question I asked.

Why do football players listen to and follow the coach? Yeah, sure they have to but, there is more to it than that. The coach, their leader, is hopefully going to lead them someplace worth going, like the Superbowl. Not only that, but when the team under leadership accomplishes the goal set before them, they all share in the leaders glory and rewards. So when we view it through that grid we say, "yeah, of course." Well, how long do you think the team will train as hard, play as hard, and follow a coach who takes all the glory, spotlight, money, and rewards for themselves? They may hang around for the paycheck but they won't be playing with any heart and thus not "winning"..

If you want your team, family, congregation, employees to work toward your vision you need only show by your actions that you truly care for them. You see, it is almost impossible not to give your all to those who have demonstrated they care more about you than they do about themselves. And their is no better way to show you care than by sharing. You see, if you really care about those under you you will share with them what you have received ultimately from their work and effort. We tend to do this more easily with our direct family. It's common sense for me that my family will directly benefit from my job and success at my job. I naturally share my time, money and energy with them and in turn they are devoted to me and invaluable team members who have enable the success to begin with.

In short, you need to ask yourself if the lack of output from your "team" is really stemming from a lack of caring on your part. You also need to ask yourself, will you prove you really care by really sharing what you got. Words are great but action gives them weight. So, as the carebears say, "caring is sharing."