Eleven years ago I took on an engagement with a public company that I look back on as one of my biggest failures. They fired me for wearing jeans and talking about God too much. My sense was that it was a good firing but at the same time I felt pained by my lack of impact all the same. Today, much to my surprise, I received the email that I’ve slightly modified by taking out the individual and company names. Kinda like my dad’s favorite verse of Proverbs 25:25. Enjoy and extrapolate to you…
“It’s been way too many years since we’ve talked. Was just thinking about you and did a quick search on Built to Lead and came across the YouTube video that Kary posted. I watched with great interest and was encouraged by your comments that you need to endure acute pain to overcome chronic pain. I started doing P90x almost three years ago and have been pretty much non-stop with P90x, P90x2, and Insanity since then. I’ve personally found your statements to be true in my life and will head home shortly for an hour long Insanity work out that will kick my butt, leave me drained for the night and ultimately energized for tomorrow.
More importantly, I wanted to say thank you. You may recall that many years ago we spent a fair amount of time together working on a national sales meeting, personal coaching for a couple of our leaders and leadership training for our IT group (yes, that was more than 10 years ago). I was new in my career here and have no doubt that God orchestrated our meeting and time together. I learned an incredible amount from you; that it was not just okay to lead with my faith but it was expected, that leaders truly are “built” through hard work and truth. I’ve surrounded myself with individuals who would be my “truth tellers” ever since and have shared that with many people along the way. And there’s much more….
In the ten years since our meeting I’ve learned the importance of appreciating those who God has placed in my life that make me a better person….follower of Christ, husband, father, and leader here at work. You are clearly one of those important people and I wanted to take a few minutes to thank you and the One who sent you.”
So, you never know do you? And, it doesn’t matter that we mostly don’t know. What matters is that we keep showing up, keep living out our CORE toward the aim of our OPUS, and leave it at that. It’s good to be surprised.
Thank you, Mr. XY&Z for taking the time to energize me from afar…
BUILT TO LEAD 