Have you ever needed to ‘light a fire’ under someone? A client mentioned this desire recently with regard to short work weeks. That is, work weeks that include a holiday. Often people take additional time off, or perhaps they are working but aren’t fully engaged. The client was exasperated with a perceived lack of urgency on an issue that he felt needed immediate attention from his team members. We ended up discussing how to get better results while balancing motivation and urgency with a genuine need for team members to rest and rejuvenate.
For those times when you seek to inspire, engage, and otherwise ‘light a fire’ to get someone moving, consider the benefits of being a candle rather than a match. Both matches and candles can share their flame, so what’s the difference?
A match burns hot and fast. It gets results, yet is limited in the number of fires it can ignite before it burns out. Matches may also scorch your fingers or otherwise negatively impact their immediate surroundings, even while doing the job of lighting that fire.
A candle, on the other hand, doesn’t lose any of its light by lighting other candles. Candles tend to burn more slowly. The contrast is similar to being more intentional, rather than reactive, in your responses.
Most of us have experience with both matches and candles, so we ‘get’ the analogy. Yet knowing the difference doesn’t necessarily mean we choose to influence others in a sustainable way. Consider, however, that the world is a better place because of what leaders DO, not simply what they know.
Then take action.
- Step out of your comfort zone and strengthen work relationships with greater trust and collaboration.
- Let go of ego and open up your curiosity.
- Listen to understand, not simply to reply.
- Slow down to assess and adjust.
- Seek clarification and make sure you’re lighting the right ‘fire’ as you solve problems.
Doing these things consistently can inspire, engage, and have a multiplier effect on your influence and your results.
A candle or a match. How will you light the fire?
This article first appeared on LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/candle-match-phyllis-sarkaria-mcec