In my last blog, we discussed the necessity of keeping our honor as a leader of character. Part of maintaining that honor is being true to ourselves. We live in a society where certain people are idolized with so many of us wasting time being envious of what they have. Why? Each one of us was created with a certain set of skills and gifts that cannot be replicated by anyone, so we need to stop using precious time and resources with the false hope of becoming more like Tom Brady and Gisselle. They are simply humans that are using the talents with which they were blessed and purely being the best version of themselves.
We will never get the most out of our teams if we are constantly trying to change who they are or even worse, failing to know them on a personal level. Know thyself is extremely important and I say this as someone who was desperately trying to be the best version of someone else. I remember like it was yesterday when a mentor of mine, Ron Day, gave me a book titled Self-Renewal, by John Gardner. I was not excited about reading the book because I felt I had it all figured it out. Wow, was I wrong!
Ron advised me to maintain a list of all of my “ah-hah” moments. I decided to keep an open mind and, reluctantly, begin reading. John Gardner wrote that a person is either a specialist or a generalist and cannot be both. Ah-hah! At that moment, I had a revelation that changed my life forever. I was trying to be a specialist when I am actually, at the very core, a generalist. A generalist can also be described as a jack-of-all-trades and a master-of-none. I was spending so much time trying to be the best in a specialist type role and not being the best version of myself as a generalist. One is not better than the other, but you need to have an awareness of the two and know which one you are. Since this realization, I am now full of joy in my current work life and leading a wonderful operation at RealManage. I went through periods of my life where I wanted to be a pilot, doctor, lawyer and accountant as they all interested me, but I am one who likes to do a little of everything and this has really helped me at this wonderful company.
Be the best version of who you are. Do not conform to what society, family or others want you to be. You will be miserable not being who you are designed to be. Focus on those skills and qualities that you were created to perform which will bring you joy daily.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to publishing my next blog outlining my fourth point on leadership! If you missed the prior three blogs in the series you may find them by clicking below.
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER AYOUB
Mr. Ayoub is a distinguished combat veteran and executive with a robust track record of excellence. He serves as the President for RealManage. Please click the following link to read Mr. Ayoub’s biography.
ABOUT REALMANAGE
RealManage is a property management company that specializes in homeowner association (HOA) management and condominium management. We serve hundreds of communities in California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada, North Carolina, Texas and Washington including; HOAs, condominium associations, cooperatives, municipal utility districts, luxury high-rises and large master-planned communities.
Chris Ayoub, President
Amanda Causey
