there is nothing more common in organizations than self-deception . . . an act that is contrary to what i know i should do for another. it boils down to one word . . . choice. it is my choice to see others as real persons or to view them as objects – thus engaging in self-deception. i have a choice to view others as individuals with needs, hopes, and worries as real and legitimate as my own.
i wish it wasn’t true, but this is in the church and in our homes. when our desires to accomplish something override the importance of relationships, it is present in us. it divides parents from children, husbands from wives, neighbor from neighbor, co-worker from co-worker, leaders from followers. families disintegrate, marriages fall apart, friendships are destroyed, businesses loose sustainability, and churches become irrelevant and ineffective.
when we choose to see others as fathers, mothers, sisters, brothers . . . real people with real hopes and desires who have emotions just like us, our influence on others moves from coercion to leadership.