Positive Principles Newsletter
January 2007
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“Wise people know when they don’t know, and they’re not afraid to go to
those who do know. When wise people bump up against their limitations, they
stop and ask for help."
– Andy Stanley,
The Best Question Ever
“Without wise
leadership, a nation falls; with many counselors, there is safety."
– Proverbs 11:14 (NLT)
“Plans go wrong
for lack of advice; many counselors bring success."
– Proverbs 15:22 (NLT)
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This month's tip – Seek wise
counsel.
As many of you know, I once served as an Engineering officer aboard a U.S.
Navy submarine. I also worked as a process development engineer in the
chemical industry for a number of years. In both situations, I relied on
basic knowledge of electrical circuit design to fulfill my job requirements.
So, I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about electrical circuitry.
A few months ago, I volunteered to lead a sound system re-wiring project at
my church. I was confident that I could easily take care of the project. So,
I started with great enthusiasm. Almost immediately, I realized how much I
did not know about sound system design and operation.
Confronted with the limitations of my knowledge on this topic and with a
commitment to provide a functional system at a reasonable cost, I began to
search for knowledge. I read articles. I searched through web sites. And I
found experts who could help.
I spoke to people in the church who had history with the existing system. I
spoke to musicians, vendors, friends, and other people with experience in
sound system design. As I write this article, we are installing the new
wiring. I haven’t seen the system operate yet, but I believe that I
developed a system design that will improve our system performance and meet
our needs for several years to come. However, I didn’t do it alone. I built
the system design based on the “wise counsel” I received from many sources.
In this situation, I became the project leader by position more than by
knowledge. I faced a situation that was beyond my initial technical
capability. I overcame the challenge with the help of many great people with
different perspectives. Each perspective contributed to the overall success
of the project.
Leaders in every organization eventually run into a situation that is beyond
their expertise. It might be a legal issue, a financial issue, or a team
performance issue. No one can be an expert on every topic. Unfortunately,
many people feel compelled to act as an expert even when they are not. They
let the pride of their position blind them to the limits to their knowledge.
Great leaders do not have the luxury of pride in these situations. They must
remain humble enough to admit when they do not know, and confident enough to
ask for help from the people who do.
So for now, I encourage you to remember this month's tip . . .
Seek wise counsel.
Have a great day,
Guy Harris
The Recovering Engineer
