Compliments…

I don’t pay any attention to compliments from cheerleaders. I appreciate the intention, but they don’t make their way past my shields. Why? Because cheerleaders hand out compliments like candy. A compliment from a cheerleader carries no nutritional value to me, so to speak.

From a love cat? Well that’s a different story. We’ve got a love cat in the band – Jim Gant. He’s the baddest dude I’ve ever met and numero uno on the list of people I’d want by my side in a dark alleyway. AND he hands out compliments on a regular basis, but never like candy. When he compliments me it pierces my armor in an instant and fills me up. Why? Because I know the compliment comes from the depths of his soul and his studying of me and how I tick.

Way too many well intended leaders pass out compliments like candy. Saying “great job,” “you’re the best,” etc. quickly begins to fall on deaf ears. If you want to build your team up and give them a real lift, leader, stop passing out compliments like candy. Give one out when it comes from your soul and is specific to them. That gives juice and tons of it.

And if you’re not finding enough to give out? Then slow down and study your people harder. The right compliments are there waiting to be found and shared. Go give some juice to a few in your world. Thanks for the juice this AM, love cat…