Fireflies

A magical thing happens in the Midwest about the first of June - the fireflies appear. When I was a child, I didn't realize that fireflies were not a worldwide phenomena - in the United States fireflies only appear east of Kansas, which make them seem even more unique and mysterious.

Fireflies appear slowly - one or two of them floating in the twilight above the garden. You have to watch carefully and be patient. Then, as if the first couple were testing the waters, more and more appear on each subsequent day - floating and shining in the darkness of the night. It is like an entrance to the fairy kingdom to watch them dance over a field on a dark summer night with the frogs and the crickets providing their orchestration.

Fireflies are like opportunities. You have to wait for the right time, you have to be patient and you have to look in the right places. And, most importantly, you have to believe in the magic. You have to have faith that if you do all that you can do - more of these wonderful creatures will appear and alight on you.

Ask yourself - is this the right time? I'm a great believer in following the guidance of the Spirit - or, if you're not religious, then following you instincts, your gut. Are you ready for the next opportunity?

Are you willing to be patient? Are you willing to wait for the right opportunity and move at the right pace. I remember in my youth that some of the little boys would catch the fireflies and try to force them to light up. They usually ended up killing the delicate creature. The magic was gone. They had nothing in their hands but a dead carcass. But I also recall walking through a field of waist high grass in the twilight and letting the fireflies lead me. It was as if I had joined in their dance - become a partner.

Have you positioned yourself in the right place, with the right frame of mind to take advantage of the opportunity? No matter how hard you try - if you're sitting in California, your not going to see fireflies. If you are in your living room or behind your computer, you'll miss them too.

Finally, having faith. I'm not going to say that if you don't have faith, you won't see fireflies. But will you understand what they are? Will you consider the magic? Will you comprehend the possibilities? Will you humble yourself and be grateful that these tiny creatures were placed on the earth to allow you to gaze in awe at the magic of a summer night?

Be aware of the opportunities around you hidden in the twilight mist - when they suddenly light up, closer than you would have imagined - walk with them and let them lead you to success.

Leadership - whether you are the owner, the boss, the manager or the supervisor - you are the leader. You set the standard. You influence the atmosphere of the company. Your employees or subordinates look to you as an example of how they should act. You and your actions will determine if your company is going to be successful or not - it's that important!

If you Google "Management Styles" you will find a bunch of links to excellent sites that talk about different kinds of styles - i.e. authoritative, participative, laissez-faire, - and there are definitions of each one. I'd like to keep things a little simpler today. More like an "Everything I Learned in Kindergarten..." approach.
1. Be honest - if you are not honest with clients, other employees or your superiors, your employees will learn two things - 1 - that they don't have to be honest with you, and 2 - that you are probably not being honest with them. If you can't trust someone, you can't work with them.
2. Rejoice in other's successes - don't be jealous of a subordinate's success, when one person on a team wins - everyone wins. Someone else winning does not take anything away from you.
3. Don't gossip - quoting from the ancient philosopher, Thumper's Mom - "If you can't say something nice about someone, don't say nothing at all."
4. Look for the positive. Before you criticize, make sure you can point out some positive things about the employee. But, don't be fake - your employees aren't stupid.
5. If you have a problem with an employee - talk to the employee. I know in this day and age of lawsuits you have to notate any problems, and you might need to have a witness participate in this kind of conversation, however, don't ever publically humiliate or chastise your employee. (Unless you are a drill sergeant - and then I understand the need for this kind of training.)
6. Be a team player. If your staff has to stay late - stay late too. If there's a big project pitch in. If there is a job that everyone hates - take your turn too.
7. Show your appreciation. Find ways to show your employees how much you appreciate their hard work. You don't have to spend a lot of money - you just have to be thoughtful.
8. Live the Golden Rule - treat others the way you would like to be treated. It's amazing how well that works.


Be sure that your place of business is a place that your employees WANT to come to every day.