Encourage the Heart

“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel” – Maya Angelou

In my first consulting job following graduation I had the opportunity to work with a committed and values-based team focused on changing the lives of thousands of fraternity men across the country.  A cornerstone concept to our onboarding program and a belief I still hold today, is the idea that relationships equal results; all success and happiness in life is rooted in the relationships that you have around you.  From your family to your friends and even your coworkers, relationships are the bedrock.  Think about the best sports teams today, they may have a few great players, but the team is great because they work together, trust each other, and have meaningful relationships that drive results every day.  

Throughout the heart of the Fall I had the opportunity to lead a group of young fraternity men across the country in the Sigma Phi Epsilon Ruck Leadership Institute.  This program was designed to empower future leaders to explore and develop their own personal and professional leadership skills, modeled after the Leadership Challenge by Barry Posner and James Kouzes.  Typically this program looks like a four day immersive experience based in Richmond, Virginia.  However, with the innovation of our Headquarters staff and volunteers we adapted the program to consist of four two-hour events virtually, challenging all of our Ruck Scholars to truly immerse themselves into the program virtually from the comfort and distraction of their homes.  

There are five key principles to the Leadership Challenge, but the principle that I will always come back to as the most impactful is the fifth and final, Encouraging the Heart.  This principle is focused in two key and incredibly simple components:

• Recognize others for what they are doing. 
• Celebrate the victories.  

Encouraging the heart is nothing more than taking actionable steps that bring to life the idea that relationships equal results.  Especially amidst the continual challenges of life with a pandemic, as professionals and family, we have to take the intentional time to encourage everyone around us.  This can be as simple as a “how is your day?” text, to a handwritten thank you note, to catching someone winning.  Think about the last time someone sent you a note or publicly praised your success at work, how good did that make you and your team feel?  Pay it forward and catch everyone winning around you, truly encouraging the heart, I promise that you and that person will benefit in ways you can’t even imagine.  

A new challenge that my wife, Ellie, and I have begun to tackle is writing at least one note a week, taking the time to thank or recognize at least one person for an impact that they have left in our life.  

How will you Encourage the Heart this week?