“I tell leaders that if they’re lonely at the top, it means no one is following them.”

A thought by John C. Maxwell (2017-03-07) from his book, No Limits: Blow the CAP Off Your Capacity (p. 97). Center Street. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)

John says, “Are you familiar with the phrase ‘It’s lonely at the top’? I don’t like it. It’s the sign of disconnection. I tell leaders that if they’re lonely at the top, it means no one is following them. They need to get off their mountain or out of their ivory tower, go to where their people are, and spend time with them. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Earlier John quoted author and professor Leo Buscaglia who said, “Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

John shares, “Make yourself available to the people in your life. And be alert to ways you can go to them when they need it. Sometimes you don’t even need to say a word. Just be there. Just let others know what they mean to you. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine named Kristen suddenly lost her son. She was understandably devastated. It happened when a group of us were gathered together for an event. Mark Cole, another friend named Dianna, and I went to Kristen’s hotel room. All I could do was put my arm around her. She needed the touch of a friend. We didn’t say anything to her for a long time. We just wanted to be with her and let her know we cared. That’s something any of us could do for a friend.”

Too many times our focus is on who cares for us but the need is for us to focus on caring for them.  Caring will make a difference in other’s lives and it will also make a difference our lives.

So where is your focus?