Rob,
About your love, my brief response was, “It’s not the words, it’s the action.”
This is the Rob so many know; a man who acts on what he believes and knows in his core. I have the privilege of being your Coach and of knowing you long before the coaching relationship. This is the last of my letters to select clients for 2011; a series corresponding to each of the seven chapters of my book. Chapter seven is Love. While some have praised me for writing about love in leadership, I write this to thank you for living it in how you lead, influence, and serve.
I heard a story about two old farmers, Joe and his neighbor. Both had lost their wives and only had each other to talk to so far out in the countryside. One day a dispute over a calf broke the relationship. They did not speak for months. Old Joe hired a carpenter to build a high fence so he would not have to look across the creek at his neighbor. Old Joe came back from town the day the fence was to be built, cleared the last hill, and saw no fence. Instead, the carpenter had built a bridge. Before old Joe could give the carpenter the what for, the neighbor crossed the bridge, embraced old Joe, and asked for his forgiveness in the argument over the calf, stating that Joe was the bigger man for providing the bridge.
Rob, you are the carpenter. We need men of courage in this 21st Century. You are a man of practical faith; the source of your down-to-earth consistency in all matters.
About Your Love
You care about, and for, people one-by-one. You take time to encourage. When you are in someone’s presence, you are present with them.
About Your Storytelling
You weave a good story. You tell for a purpose. You tell for the love of the hearer.
Thank you again for being a courageous carpenter,
Jeff
What a delicious man this person is, Jeff. Thanks for the story.
I love the story of the farmers and the carpenter. The world could definitely use a lot more carpenters like Rob.
Thanks for this, Jeff. I too loved the story about the farmers and the carpenter. Good leadership can help us overcome disagreements and bridge the gap between co-workers (and customer/businessperson). Before your series I’d never thought much about love being a quality of leadership, but the story about Rob and the metaphor about the farmers and carpenter really brings that home to me now.
Jeff, thank you so much for sharing this series with us. The world can definitely use more carpenters who build bridges rather than fences.
I agree with Mary Ellen. These stories have really touched me and taught me to be a loving, caring, supportive leader, not like what society would consider to be a strong leader. You show a better way of leading and I love that.
Great stories and they show there is more ways to lead than the text book styes.
What an amazing story. I’ll remember the Bridge story for a long time. It is simple and yet so powerful. Thank you.