Those who wish to sing, always find a song. ~ Swedish Proverb
As leaders we set the tone for the teams we lead. If we have a negative, small, critical attitude, we will soon experience the same among our team members.
A story I read years ago in Max Lucado’s book In the Eye of the Storm illustrates the effects of letting life steal our energy.
Chippie the parakeet never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage. The next he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.
The problems began when Chippie’s owner decided to clean Chippie’s cage with a vacuum cleaner. She removed the attachment from the end of the hose and stuck it in the cage. The phone rang, and she turned to pick it up. She’d barely said “hello” when “ssssopp!” Chippie got sucked in.
The bird owner gasped, put down the phone, turned off the vacuum, and opened the bag. There was Chippie — still alive, but stunned.
Since the bird was covered with dust and soot, she grabbed him and raced to the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and held Chippie under the running water. Then, realizing that Chippie was soaked and shivering, she did what any compassionate bird owner would do . . . she reached for the hair dryer and blasted the pet with hot air.
Poor Chippie never knew what hit him.
A few days after the trauma, the reporter who’d initially written about the event contacted Chippie’s owner to see how the bird was recovering. “Well,” she replied, “Chippie doesn’t sing much anymore — he just sits and stares.”
It’s hard not to see why. Sucked in, washed up, and blown over . . . That’s enough to steal the song from the stoutest heart. (In the Eye of the Storm, Word Publishing, 1991, p. 11)
Bad things happen to good leaders. It can sap our energy and harden our attitude, if we let it.
Sometimes a little attitude adjustment is in order.
Here are some things to sing about:
- That you don’t have to lead alone, you have a team to help you.
- The individual skills and talents of your team members
- That you get the honor of leading others.
- That you are growing and are farther along the road this week than you were last week.
- That this is a new week and you will make progress toward your vision this week.
As country music legend Willie Nelson sings,
Without a song, the day would never end
Without a song, the road would never bend
When things go wrong, a man ain’t got a friend
Without a song!
It’s up to us to find something to sing about. When we find it, don’t sit and stare… SING!
What song will you sing this week?
Igniting Hope 4 Leaders 