First, she got my full attention and then softly said, "Thank you for recognizing the greatness of my husband." That was it--but it was shared with warmth, appreciation and gratitude. It blessed her, beyond words, that her husband had received a plaque from the organization I was leading at the time.
Her husband is one of those quiet, behind-the-scenes servant giants. Everyone depends on him and he delivers on his promises. He doesn't have a PR department. He doesn't need one. But few, if anyone, had recognized him publicly for his ministry. It was OK with them. But when we recognized him, it blessed her deeply.
Contrast that with the sprint-to-the-platform personality that is addicted to public face time. "How do I get on that board? How do I win that award? How do a get on that program?"
Solomon wrote in Proverbs 18 (The Message), "Pride first, then the crash, but humility is precursor to honor."
Paul Nelson, president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, www.ecfa.org, told me once that if ECFA is doing their job, there's no news. Under the radar, Paul and his team work with some 1,200 nonprofit member ministries to keep them accountable in financial and fund raising areas. When there's a bad apple, they work with discretion and God-honoring procedures to bring an organization back into compliance. You can imagine the push-back and the hassle that comes their way. Yet, after a tough week onsite at a ministry, they pack up, get on a plane and go home. They don't send out a news release touting ECFA's good work.
What's the point? When you lead and manage, it cannot be about getting the credit, the kudos or the clippings. It's actually a lot more fun to spread the joy around and affirm others. And every once in a while, a spouse or a co-worker of an honoree will give you that wonderful feedback that affirms God's original prompting. It's actually the Lord telling you, "Thank you for recognizing the greatness of my servant."
Contact JPA at John@JohnPearsonAssociates.com or go to www.JohnPearsonAssociates.com.
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