The coolest thing I’ve heard lately… (and why leaders should hear it, too)

I’m not going to let my worst experience with someone define my relationship with them.

Isn’t that great? Sometimes we have a bad experience with someone and think “whoa, now their true colors are finally coming out!” — and that puts us on guard in the future. Once bitten, twice shy (we think).

But we all have moments when we are at our worst. Usually, we regret them. And, we’re embarrassed. Lots of times we sweep it away, but it nags maybe, and we sure hope it doesn’t define us to others.

Unfortunately, it can. But, as leaders, we have to be emotionally mature and make sure we don’t let the worst experience we have with someone – the low-water mark – forever define our insights, relationship, and treatment of that person.

Another view — what if we let our BEST experience with a person rule our feelings toward them and treatment of them? Perhaps that’s just as foolish, but our world might be a more positive place…