What Great Leaders Do When They Are Misunderstood And Talked Bad About

Always choose people.

I learned many things working for Dr. John Maxwell.  I learned about leadership obviously but I also writing skills, organizational principles, the value of production, and how much God blesses a generous life.  But I also learned how leaders should deal with people who misunderstand and talk about them in negative terms.

For leaders, particularly those in the public eye, criticism comes with the territory.  People often misunderstand your intentions, develop false assumptions from less than limited information, and question your character.

Whenever Dr. Maxwell’s motives were questioned and he was talked about in unflattering terms, he modeled what our corporate mantra was – ALWAYS take the high road.  No exceptions.  Much like Jesus, Dr. Maxwell always responded with love and grace and then simply moved on to completing the next task God had called him to do.  He was a wonderful example.

Most great leaders I know respond in a similar fashion.  They always take the high road.  Casey Graham, owner and founder of The Rocket Company of which I am now employed, is one of these type of leaders.  His mantra is “Always choose people.”

The following are five reasons why great leaders always choose people:

1. Because Jesus Always Chose People – Jesus did nothing but serve, heal, comfort, feed, teach, minister to, and redeem people.  And still He was misunderstood, mocked, talked about, cursed at, beaten, and ultimately killed.  Yet, He still chose people.
2. Because People Are Your Only Appreciable Asset – Except for one thing, everything in this life will depreciate.  The only thing that increases in value over time is people.  In addition, there are only two things that last forever – the Word of God and the souls of men.  Always choose people.
3. Because Relationships Are More Important Than Rights – Whether it is your family, neighbors, friends, or customers, the best leaders know it is far more important to maintain the relationship than it is to prove you are right.  Always choose people.
4. Because Nobody Truly Wins In An Argument – I learned early in my marriage that because of my pragmatism, communicative skills, and sheer force of personality, I could “win” most any argument with my wife.  I may have won the argument but then lost the relationship for several days.  I have seen many people win arguments but lose friendships or client relationships.  Always choose people.
5. Because I Want To Live A Life Of No Regrets – I have often made the mistake of embarrassing people or “putting them in their place”.  I’ll admit now what I’ve never admitted publicly.  I did not sleep well that evening.  I tossed and turned all night.  I tried to justify it as a hard leadership decision or having to have a “hard conversation”.  But I know what I did.  I let someone have it who “deserved it”.  No they didn’t.  I was wrong and apologized the next day.  I still lost respect.  I still lost influence.  Always choose people.

I went to work for Injoy Stewardship Solutions because Dr. John Maxwell was my spiritual hero.  Over ten years later, he still is.  Part of the reason is because he always took the high road.  He always chose people.

Simple question – As a leader, when you are misunderstood or talked bad about, do you always choose people or do you take a counterfeit response?

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