I read everything Peter Drucker writes. His book The Effective Executive is a favorite I re-read every year. Long before words like "empowerment" became popular, Peter was telling us that the secret of achieving results is to focus on your strengths, and the strengths of those you work with, rather than focusing on weaknesses. In fact, Peter says, making strengths productive is the unique purpose of organization.

The truth is, all of us are a bundle of both strengths and weaknesses. No one is strong in every area. If you closely watch anyone with outstanding strengths, you'll eventually notice that they also exhibit outstanding weaknesses. (This is why our Presidents have such a short "honeymoon" with the nation.)

I think God planned each of us this way. No one is good at everything - so we need each other and are forced to cooperate. The Bible says this:

"Just as there are many parts to our bodies, so it is with Christ's body. We
are all parts of it, and it takes every one of us to make it complete, for we
each have different work to do. So we belong to each other, and each needs
all the others. GOD HAS GIVEN EACH OF US THE ABILITY TO DO CERTAIN
THINGS WELL..." Romans 12:4-6 (Living Bible)

Here's the point: Find out what God made you to do well and do more of it. Don't worry about what you don't do well. In fact, try to do as little as possible of what you don't do well.

Then find out what others do well and help them to be able to do more of it. This is the key to effective businesses, effective churches, and every other effective organization. Great organizations position people for success rather than trying to eliminate all their weaknesses. It's far easier to manage weaknesses than to eliminate all of them.

We must know what each job requires and the strengths that are needed to fulfill it. When an employee fails because he doesn't have the strengths to match the job, the fault is management's, not the employee's.

Finally, never forget that in order to use the strengths of people we must be willing to put up with their weaknesses. The wise leader will focus on people's contribution, not their idiosyncrasies. "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone." Romans 12:18

Until next week...
FOL#50