After college in one of my very first leadership positions, the leader over me continually told me to treat everyone who worked for me as though someday they would be my boss. Regardless of my leadership positions since that one I have benefited from the perspective he gave me – he was helping me to never forget where I came from. I have since assumed a similar position to his and I have kept an appreciation for those who are now working for me as they begin.
Stay Grounded
In recognizing that you are God’s masterpiece and developing your Life Palette to live as His masterpiece you must also recognize that each person you cross paths with is created as a masterpiece of God as well. To successfully develop this perspective and keep healthy relationships on your Life Palette, you must stay grounded through true humility. And at the very heart of humility is never forgetting where you came from, this will help you to appreciate the worth and value of others as God’s masterpieces.
Be Authentic
The more success and influence you have, the more important it is that you walk in true humility. That is to say, that you recognize the worth and value of the masterpiece God has created in others. But this must be authentic. You cannot fake this – everyone can sense a fake. You must begin to truly see the potential and value of others as a masterpiece. If you currently look at others as less than yourself or less than a masterpiece of God, you will need to have a change of attitude on your personal Life Palette to become the masterpiece God created you to be. The good news is you don’t have to do this on your own. Ask God to help you see others the way He sees them. He will help you to see them with the incredible potential He has built within them and as you see it you will begin to speak it. You will become a person that others want to be around and want to have a relationship with.
A Leadership Principle
The more you see others as the masterpiece God created them to be through genuine humility the more they will feel value, worth, and appreciation. Imagine how this will affect every relationship in your life. They will desire to add more value to you and your organization or your team.
Sowing And Reaping
The more you succeed and live life as the masterpiece God created you to be, the more important it is for you to have people around you who respect you and support you. With all success there are plenty of people who want to see you fail, if you lack genuine humility those numbers will swell. But by continuing to recognize that everyone around you is a masterpiece and continuing to treat them as one, you will build healthy relationships on your Life Palette. Healthy relationships are very important because there will be a time that you may need their help.
This is the picture of the Biblical truth of sowing and reaping: “A man reaps what he sows.” (Gal 6:7 NIV) Want to be treated and viewed as a masterpiece from others? Treat them as the masterpiece that God has created them to be. They may never be your boss, you may never actually work for them, but if you always treat others like they may be your boss someday you will always walk in true humility with them – and they will love you for it!
Next Steps
Today silently greet everyone that crosses your path with this truth: God created a masterpiece…it’s you. As you do you will begin to treat them with the respect, value and worth they deserve and they will sense it.