Lessons from the wise Guy...
I am privileged and blessed to have an accountability partner who is willing to speak the blunt truth to me with the love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Knowing that I needed such a partner as I arrived in Wichita, I slowly realized that accountability is not bounded by time zones and locations. And, there are few people I trust to hold and take me to account more than my buddy Guy.
Guy and I have known each other nearly 13 years after meeting and working together at HP in the OpenView software business. He mentored me as a new manager and we both saw some exciting and tough times during the dot.com boom and hey-days of the late 90s and early 2000s. We have run (literally) 100s of miles together talking, laughing, releasing stress, and found ourselves running faster and faster as our focus and zeal in the conversation drove us. He's one of the few men in this world I can truly call a friend.
We agreed to have regular conversations over the phone and, as we began, it's became my job to call him and kick off the mutual accountability conversation. However, I would not get the times right in my head to call. So, he and I repeatedly setup times to talk and I failed to show.
Most, I believe, would have simply faded from this schedule of missed conversations. I mean, what's to stop him? He's nearly 600 miles away. But Guy is not that way. We rescheduled the last conversation (again) and he kicked it off by challenging me on how I'm using others' time - not his time, but OTHERS' time. Do you get that? Great leadership comes with helping others focus on a common goal - and a godly man is always to look at the concerns of others before himself.
So, with renewed focus and energy, I'm really going to try to be at every meeting on time. No one should have to wait on me because of my lack of regard for his/her time.
Way to go, Guy (again). I thank God for you, my brother...=D
Guy and I have known each other nearly 13 years after meeting and working together at HP in the OpenView software business. He mentored me as a new manager and we both saw some exciting and tough times during the dot.com boom and hey-days of the late 90s and early 2000s. We have run (literally) 100s of miles together talking, laughing, releasing stress, and found ourselves running faster and faster as our focus and zeal in the conversation drove us. He's one of the few men in this world I can truly call a friend.
We agreed to have regular conversations over the phone and, as we began, it's became my job to call him and kick off the mutual accountability conversation. However, I would not get the times right in my head to call. So, he and I repeatedly setup times to talk and I failed to show.
Most, I believe, would have simply faded from this schedule of missed conversations. I mean, what's to stop him? He's nearly 600 miles away. But Guy is not that way. We rescheduled the last conversation (again) and he kicked it off by challenging me on how I'm using others' time - not his time, but OTHERS' time. Do you get that? Great leadership comes with helping others focus on a common goal - and a godly man is always to look at the concerns of others before himself.
So, with renewed focus and energy, I'm really going to try to be at every meeting on time. No one should have to wait on me because of my lack of regard for his/her time.
Way to go, Guy (again). I thank God for you, my brother...=D
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