Each day I reflecting upon the journey of servant leadership, what I now define as “relational leadership”. Although I certainly do not intend to make this a post with any religious overtones, I’ve found the bible has an amazing quote that shapes my thinking on this topic. Proverbs 27:17 proclaims: “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”. This simple statement has been a calling for all these years to understand that no one is alone. That in order to make yourself better, there is a mutual benefit making others better through mentorship, follower-ship, and leading.

Iron sharpening Iron from a practical standpoint means there is a tremendous benefit to rubbing blades together, forging, making the edges sharper and efficient. Iron will be in some form or shape at all times, but it is what you do with it that makes the difference. The more time you spend paying attention to the tools that you have and the way you “forge” your relationships and presence, the stronger the other objects (others) become.

The Iron Sharpens Iron principle will give you a focused set of ideas that can be applied in both your personal and professional life. You will find that the premise with every leadership book is the attempt to improve yourself or your organization to achieve higher levels of performance. The principles within my “Leadership Mindset” posts can be used to fine tune yourself as you look in the mirror or they can be utilized as lessons to be taught to your team. Each principle is a lesson in understanding the human dynamic of effective leadership.

This is a simple explanation of tried and true combinations that I have seen work for over thirty years from the individual level, the small group dynamic or large complex organizations. I will not pretend to make you believe I have created new unexplored leadership theories, but rather, I will offer you an idea on how to execute effectively and what I have discovered to be the secret ingredients to improve yourself and your organization no matter the size. I always look forward to your comments and remember…NEVER be afraid to LEAD!