In March of 2022, I left a thirty-five-year career working for large organizations to start my own leadership coaching/speaking business. With no clients lined up, I did what anyone would do with ideas and no one to share them with in the moment. I wrote a book.
That book, People are the Plan, has been on the market for about four years and has been a complement to what I do with groups and individuals. Writing that book, finding a publisher, and working through that entire process was much tougher than I ever imagined.
Fast forward one year, business was growing, but I had some downtime during the holidays. I sat down in front of my laptop and wrote another manuscript. This one was similar, but different.
Similar in that it was leadership focused, but different in that it told the story of how Jesus’s example of leadership impacted my view and actions on leading others. I wrote that manuscript in nine weeks but did nothing more with it for over two years.
I wasn’t sure I wanted to go through that painful, discouraging process of publishing again. However, the thought kept coming to me: What if it made a difference in just one life – would it be worth it?
I have been reminded of that question several times in the last few months. As business has grown, I still have opportunities to speak to student groups, athletic teams, and various non-profit organizations. These are generally not paid engagements, but they are opportunities – opportunities to have impact!
Many times, I leave those engagements never knowing if I had an impact or not.
However, recently, I have received a note from a student telling me our time together changed the direction of her life. I received a text message from a coach telling me he was impacted by the message. I received an email from an attendee telling me about the changes they were making in their life because of a challenge we discussed together.
I hope and pray that more people were impacted, but “one” is enough to validate the commitment. “One” matters!
Ephesians 4:32 tells us, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” I love the reference to “one another”, “each other”, and “you”. The power of “one”.
What if each of us positively impacted just one person each day for the rest of our lives? What if each one of us made a point to intentionally reach out and encourage someone else each day? What if we did a selfless act of service for someone else each day?
I committed to that very thing years ago. It could be a phone call, a text message, an email, or an act of service in some way. The method changes, and it may seem insignificant in some way, but the focus remains on others.
We don’t control the response on the other end, but 365 people a year (one for each day) are valued in the moment in some way! One person at a time!
I did get that second book, The Greatest Leader Ever – Leadership Lessons from the Life of Jesus, published and on the Amazon market. If just one life is changed, it will be worth it!
One Matters!
Doug equips leaders to make organizations better. He has two leadership books available on all online platforms. Whether you are looking for a speaker for your next event or a leadership coach to develop people and build an authentic team, contact Doug at doug.strickel@gmail.com and learn more about PLUS.
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