The Sharpeners are those people in your life that make you better.

I coined this term just yesterday in conversation with a friend.  We were discussing his business and how there are people we interact with that are clients.  There are others that are business partners and how both clients and partners involve financial transactions.  Then there is a third undefined category of people that you want to spend time with, but not for financial transaction reasons.

This third category are the sharpeners.  These are the people, and I hope you have some, that just have something special about them.  After every meeting or interaction you are a better leader, a better person.  You have a unique connection.  They have the ability to relate to your woes, share your joy, and speak the exact things you need to hear.

I am fortunate to have sharpeners in my life.  Over the last year or two I have been very intentional about spending time with them.  At first it felt a little strange.  I felt like I was taking time selfishly to spend with the people I wanted to spend time with that did not directly impact the business.  I eventually learned that them having the ability to make me better actually does have a benefit to my leadership and thus the business.

Another interesting quirk I learned was that I could not always feel in myself when I needed one of these conversations.  Every time I had a sharpener meeting I could feel the difference afterwards.  I could tell that I had been re-energized.  Other people could see it though.  Those close to me like my wife and close friends could see in my actions, my demeanor or my physical appearance when I was getting a little run down, but I could not tell.  This is why I have been more intentionally consistent in meeting with my sharpeners.

Most people, religious or not, have heard the phrase “Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” This actually comes from Proverbs 27:17.  Until I lived this experience of actually spending time with people that truly sharpened me, it was just a phrase.  It was just one of those feel good type verses to which I could respond something like “Yeah, sure” or “Of course.”  That is probably still what it truly is for most people.  Now for me, it is a phrase that demands action.  It takes effort and planning for me to make this a reality, but it is very possible.