Are You A Sheep?

I watched an interesting show this past week, called "The Shark Tank". If you don't know what that is, it is a show where young entrepreneurs, who have great ideas, or even small operational businesses, come into a room with 5 business tycoons worth a combined net worth of over a billion dollars. These young entrepreneurs try to pitch their idea or their business to these moguls in hopes of a partnership or an investment into their small start-up company.

In a nutshell, I loved this show. These poor people were getting sleighed by these business giants. They'd go in and offer them 10% of the company for a $500k investment, and the tycoons would come back with a counter of 51% for an investment of $1 million. Most people would say... wow! That's stupid. Why not just give them the $500 k and take 30 or 40% of the company? The answer is because these people didn't become billionaires by taking the safe route. Nor do they like to be pushed around. If they are going to invest the money into something that they believe in, they are going to make sure they have the controlling interest in the company, and they're going to make sure that the company has more than enough to float it until it can turn a profit.

I say all of that to say this. Leaders often times don't want to believe that they are lead-able, if that's even a real word. (If not it should be) These young entrepreneurs didn't want to hear from someone more powerful than them, that they had a great idea, but in order to make it what they wanted to make it, they would have to give up control over it. WOW! How many times have we had to face that. It hurts sometimes doesn't it?

Peter didn't want to allow Jesus to wash his feet, because he thought that it was beneath Jesus to have to do that. In another instance, Jesus was having dinner at a Pharisee's house, where there was an incident that took place involving some spilled perfume and a woman. The Pharisee quickly rebuked Jesus for his actions, thinking he knew far more, but Jesus quickly put him in his place. All throughout scripture we see that Jesus taught his disciples that in order to truly lead, you must first be a servant, but then, you must also allow yourself to be led or taught, when necessary. These young business minds, most of them, turned down the offer of a 51% controlled interest of their company out of selfishness and not wanting to be led. But they were standing in the presence of greatness, people who have done what it is that they sought to do. People who have made billions of dollars. Did you hear that.....? BILLIONS.

So why then are we selfish? Why do we fight against being led? Why do we think our way is the best way, when there are people who do what we are trying to do at a higher level than us. They've been successful in their area, but yet, we know it all... "Can't tell ME anything!"

This is something that as I grow as a leader, I'm wrestling with daily. I know that I have to surround myself with people who do what I do.... and do it at a higher level than I'm doing it right now. Cause they have knowledge that I probably don't have! I'm a sheep. Whether I want to admit it or not, I'm a sheep. Sometimes I get to be the lead sheep, but nevertheless, I'm still a sheep and I need people to lead me, so I can effectively lead people. What are you doing to allow yourself to be influenced, or led? Me.... I'm reading some good books, trying to build relationships with some guys who are doing what I do, and I'm trying to listen to the people that I do lead (WHOA! That's heresy!) so that I can become a better leader to them.

C-y'all.

Robbie