A Cog in the Wheel

My dad repairs antique clocks. These ancient time pieces are as much as work of art as they are a means to keep track of the passing minutes and hours of the day. But they are, at times, finicky. If one cog in the mechanism gets out of alignment, isn't properly lubricated, a spring is wound too tightly, or a pendulum gets out of balance, the clock will either malfunction, or simply cease working altogether.

A few Christmas seasons back, my Dad surprised me with a Grandfather clock. He had purchased it at an estate sale, rebuilt the mechanism, the face and casing and presented it to me as a gift. It was gorgeous. He helped me set the clock up, get it properly balanced, and walked me through the proper maintenance to keep this beautiful timepiece running. Every hour, we were treated to a harmony of bells and chimes as the clock sounded off the passing of time. It was truly a showpiece in our dining room.

But one day, it malfunctioned. The next trip down to visit, my dad carefully took the motor from the casing and identified the culprit. A simple cog had come out of alignment and the motor locked up when I wound the clock at the end of the week. One simple gear, a very tiny gear, misaligned, affected this time piece - in essence bringing its performance to a screeching halt. The clock motor locked up and quit ticking.

Any organization is only as good as its Team Members. Like the cogs in a wheel, these men and women have to be carefully aligned based on their talent and giftings, nurtured, and cared for if the organization wants to run efficiently and effectively. The failure of leadership to perform preventative maintenance can lead to poor performance, and ultimately bring the entire organization to a screeching halt.

I was recently brought into an organization to deal with what the owner called dysfunction. Several efforts to market the services of this entity had proven unsuccessful. Employee turnover was high, and morale was low. As I began to "inspect the cogs in the wheel" I found the employees were highly talented, believed in the organization's mission statement, and truly wanted to see the company be successful and provided a needed service that could help many families.

In talking with several vendors who had cancelled contracts with the organization, and interviews with the employees, it became evident the problem wasn't with the employees, or the vendors, but the owner. He was so focused on himself, and his own ego, he failed to nurture and cultivate the amazing talent within his organization and release them to make the organization successful. His arrogance with vendors left such a distaste, they cancelled lucrative contracts and took their business elsewhere - even though the service being offered by this company was superior in many ways.

This organization, like my Grandfather clock, was locked up.

Team members have value, and a good leader understands and appreciates the value each individual team member brings to the organization. The best leaders maximize the talents and strengths of their team members for maximum efficiency, inspire their team members to use their gifts and talent for the greater good of the organization, and invest time and resources to help them hone and further develop their strengths. They also empower and release them to go and achieve success for the organization, and are quick to recognize and praise team members, and the team as a whole, for their efforts (not just their successes).

Like any well-oiled machine, an organization runs best when morale is high. Words of encouragement, treating each other with dignity and respect, and heaping praise on the efforts of team members (in the presence of others) are valuable components that keep the organization running like clockwork.

Words of encouragement, mutual respect and plain ole common courtesy are like a fine lubricant that keeps the cogs in the wheel running smoothly. Empowerment and praise are much the same. Take this away, and friction builds. A motor without lubrication begins to overheat and in time seizes up. The same can be said for any organization.

Selfless leadership is more focused on adding value to others than gaining personal recognition or credit for the successes of the organization. Zig Ziglar once said, "You can have everything in life you want , if you will help other people get what they want." A real leader understands, and embraces, this mindset and is focused on helping his team members see individual and corporate success - because if this happens, everyone wins!

In the movie, Dr. Strange, the arrogant, self-centered doctor who sought to cheat death had to come to grips with his own mortality, and more importantly his own overtly overblown egotistical self-worth, when he was to told the most important lesson in life was this:

"It's not about you!"

At the movie's conclusion, Dr. Strange was willing to sacrifice himself again and again for the good of mankind, understanding he could only add value to others to through a selfless act of putting the welfare and well-being of others before his own. His transformation from selfishness to selflessness was a turning point in his life - and saved mankind in the process.

Sadly, this is not always the case.

I was unable to help this organization move forward, as the owner was (as yet) unwilling to change his own elevated belief in his self-inflated value and worth and admit that the dysfunction in the organization was his own doing. As long as it remains "All about me" to the owner, the company will continue to struggle, morale will remain low, and employee turnover will remain high.

This organization, like my Grandfather clock, will remain locked up until such time as the cogs in the wheel are given the proper attention they deserve.

The leader who is unethical, immoral or self-focused will not lead indefinitely. People will follow this type of positional leader for a season, but once an opportunity to take their talents elsewhere is identified, talented team members will move on to where they are appreciated, valued, encouraged, empowered and are given the opportunity to grow, make the organization successful, and be appreciated for their contribution.

A good leader, like a good Clocksmith, sees the intrinsic value in team members and focuses his or her efforts on these valuable "cogs in the wheel" so they can continue to operate like a well-oiled machine and do what this organization was established to do...keep on ticking!

Nurture your team members, encourage and inspire them. Give them what they need to see individual success - as that can lead to corporate success. Praise their efforts, as well as their successes. Invest in them, empower them, inspire them, give them what they need to be successful, believe the best of them, release them, and put your faith and trust in them.

Remember...if you keep the Team ticking, you are continually moving forward.

When the team wins, everyone wins!

This kind of selfless leader will not lack for followers - as people will seek this type of leader out. And when you as a leader do not lack for followers, what obstacle is it that you cannot overcome? What mountain can you not climb? What impossible goal can you now accomplish?

Be mindful of the "cogs in the wheel" of your organization. If you're so focused on yourself you forget to care for those who keep the organization ticking, you may find yourself and your organization losing time (and money). Ignore your people for too long and your organization, like a malfunctioning clock, will eventually become "locked up".

2X martial arts Hall of Fame inductee, John Terry is a motivational speaker, leadership, sales & communication coach and trainer.   

Through his coaching and training company, IMGA.com, John (and his daughter, Jessie) seeks to INSPIRE others to see their limitless potential, MOTIVATE them to pursue black belt excellence as a leader in life, GROW personally and professionally and ACHIEVE greatness through living a life of significance.  

For more information, schedule John (or Jessie) to speak to your organization or to book a personal, group or corporate coaching session, visit www.IMGA.com.  

If you are a faith-based organization, learn more about John and Jessie's outreach to churches, para-church organizations or faith-based volunteer groups at www.DunamisFactor.com.

John is an Executive Director with the John Maxwell Team and is passionate about helping others pursue excellence as they become "Leaders in Life".  

Jessie is a Certified Speaker, Coach and Trainer with the John Maxwell Team. By the age of 18, Jessie has traveled to Guatemala and Cameroon, Africa to challenge and inspire young people to believe in themselves, and (regardless of age) to pursue with passion the dream within them. She is actively involved in the JMT Global Youth Initiative. Jessie was the youngest JMT member to ever speak on the Big Stage at the International Maxwell Certification conference in Orlando, FL in February, 2018.