Bright Leaders

Yesterday I said that I receive one email a month telling me that our work has changed somebody's life. Well, what follows isn't exactly this type of email, but it inspiring nonetheless, and I'd love to share it:

Dear Jerry,

At this time of year I reflect on all that I have and all that is around me.

The one thing that I always come back to is the importance of family and their safety and growth, and the importance of providing the people that I work with and those that work for me the opportunities to improve themselves. This provides them the ability to see where the company they work for, which hopefully they find fulfillment in, is headed and how they can have a treamendous effective in how we make it their. Now I know if I succeed at the family level, the thing that I struggle with is how do I know if I have succeeded at the employee level. The company is easy as the Income statement tells me that status, but on an individual level how do I know? It is tough to ask everyone, but I do try to as it seems it is the only way to know. The other side is will they tell me what they think I want to hear or what they really feel.

Well, I guess that is getting way to deep at this time of year. I hope that your family is well and enjoy the holidays together. And as always I wish continued success as you have shone a light on all of us to provide us a glimpse into ourselves and what we truly can be capable of. For that I am truly grateful and without it I would not be doing some of things that I have done since those Leadership classes. You have taught us the way and it is upon us to ensure that we continue on the path.

Thanks for all that you do to keep us leading and have a great 2011. By the way it is great to hear these stories every once in awhile.

This is beautiful and it underscores the importance of feedback as a leadership tool. If he can create an architecture of feedback within his company, my feeling is that he will get to know what his employees really feel!

Thanks - JB