A number of years ago, my son and I installed a lawn irrigation system. When I brought the rough sketch to the company who was helping design the system, they provided us a completed blueprint and a caution; “Make sure the sprinklers’ reach overlap so water gets distributed where each sprinkler head is located. If you don’t, the grass closest to the water source will die.”
Because of the way most sprinkler heads are designed, it distributes water out from itself but does not water the lawn a few feet around its location.
Leaders are like this sometimes. We provide support, encouragement, guidance, empathy, etc. to those at arm’s length but fail to extend this to those closest to us. The persons down the hall or in the next building may perceive us as a ‘great leader’ while those on our own team feel abandoned.
This behavior is both disingenuous and deceptive; certainly not behavior indicative of a great leader . . . or even a good leader for that matter. It breeds discontent. It destroys relationships; it destroys teams; it destroys organizations.
Consider the attributes you exhibit. Are they attributes of honesty, trust, humility, and encouragement . . . even agapao love? Are they directed towards those closest to you?