In a leadership role my number one job is to magnify the effectiveness of others.  With that in mind, I will ignore my own tasks in a heartbeat if I have an opportunity to help someone else.  The same goes if I happen to be holding someone else up.  No matter what that is.  If it is giving an assignment, sending or sharing communication, answering a question, or reviewing work, I put that ahead of tasks that I might have planned that only impact me.  It often wreaks havoc on my to do list and frequently drives my assistant crazy because I am seemingly not doing what I am “supposed” to be doing at a given moment, even if she scheduled time for me to do it.  The end result is usually a build up of personal tasks which I eventually have to isolate myself in order to knock out in succession.  This is just one way I try to live out a servant leadership methodology.  If I behaved differently and put my tasks first, it would be counter to a servants mindset.

I actually try to apply the same thinking at home.  While I may have many things I personally want to do, I try my best to invest in the lives of my children and spouse first.  It is my sincere hope that they think of me as putting them ahead of my own desires and interests.  My concern is that if I pursue other things, they would be left with the impression that work or my phone or whatever it may be is more important to me than they are.  Basically, this has become a lifestyle choice that I practice in all areas, not simply an aspect of my job.  It is part of who I am.