Showing humility every day is not easy. The best way to do that is to help others and live a life of servanthood.
Helping others is a choice that we all have to make. We either want to help others, or we don’t. The day I decided to start helping others within my team, was the day when things started to change. We started to perform better as a team, we all started to help each other, and our relationships were getting stronger.
When we decide to start helping others, we are deliberately building relationships, and trust with the person we are helping. When we as a team started to perform better, our department, and our organisation was performing better too. It has a multiplying effect across everyone when we all decide to help each other.
If it wasn’t for all of the personal growth activities I have done over the last 20 years of my engineering career. 11 of those years being in leadership positions, I wouldn’t be able to write this article, and teach you these lessons from my personal experiences.
1. How I Want To Help And Serve You
All of the leadership books I have read, videos I’ve watched, events I’ve attended, and work experiences are all rolled up into the resources I am providing. There are more resources to come in the future too. This is all help for you, and the others who you share this article and my other articles with.
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The many mistakes I have made in the last 20 years, the lessons that I have learned from those mistakes, and the person I have become, is my way of helping you.
Now it is the present day, and the person I am becoming is a highly effective leader. However, nobody is perfect, so I am constantly maintaining myself, and overhauling myself. I have teams and people I mentor that I need to help, and I am responsible for.
I have a purpose and I am living and breathing that purpose every day. It is my job to help you to be the same, whatever your purpose is. It is my job to help you to become the person you want to be. It is my job to help you to strive towards and eventually become a highly effective leader.
As I’ve explained earlier, I had the attitude of every person for themselves when it came to my work. I thought that if you could do tasks on your own, rather than accept help from teammates, it showed strength. When actually, it wasn’t.
So, when I realised this, and I got over myself, I started to help others. This started in 2009. Since then, I have made it a priority to always help others. No matter if they were in my team or from another department.
It has been an 11 year journey of being helpful, which coincides in exactly the same amount of time I have been studying, and working in leadership. I couldn’t have imagined then the teams I would be a part of, and the size of the teams I led. Back in 2009, I didn’t have the vision or the size of team that I have now.
As you and many other people are reading this article, and my other articles, I am on yours and every other reader’s team. I want to help you. I want to help the people who watch my video’s, listen to my audios, read my blog posts, and read my social media posts.
My followers are ever growing, and I want to help every single one of you. You are very important to me, and anything I can do to help you become the person you want to be, and a highly effective leader, I am going to do.
I have a purpose and a burning desire to help more, and more people every day. I want to do this while I am also working on myself to become the best person I can be every day. However, I put others first, as that is how I have learned from others who helped me in the past.
2. How Will You Help And Serve Others?
Hopefully what you are learning will enable you to do the same when helping others. I want you, and the people you help in the future to become great. I want you to become highly effective. I want you to become a leader who can make a difference in the world, and change the world.
A lot of people who do the same thing I am doing, writing articles, and creating other resources, do so for the money. That is fine, I have no issue with that, except they are telling their customers that they are doing it to “help others.”
When in reality, their objective is to earn money. For me, money is important but it is not the most important thing. The most important thing is that I help you to improve, and strive to become a highly effective leader. The fact that I get paid well for it is a by-product of fulfilling my purpose.
The more people you help from applying what you learn from my articles, you will eventually have the same result as a by-product too. However, if you focus on money rather than helping people, you will not give absolutely 100% to your cause and putting others first.
3. Increasing Your Influence
No matter what team you’re on at the moment or will be in the future, there is always somebody you can help. Whether that be help in the task they are currently doing, help in their job, or help outside of work. If you can help them, then it is an opportunity for you to increase your influence, and build on your relationship with the person.
When I started to deliberately help people, I didn’t care what they needed help with. If I was in a position to help someone, then I would do it.
If they needed any knowledge that I had, or needed my help to find knowledge, or needed me to check their work. Whatever it was, I was happy to help, because it was newly found purpose that I had to fulfill every day.
Most people on most teams throughout the world are not taught that helping each other is the best way to produce great results. I was always taught to get on with the job, and if you had a problem then tell the boss.
I have interacted with a lot of people over the years, and most of them have been taught the same thing. So, these team members will not realise how valuable they are to each other, and that just a little bit of help to their fellow teammate can be of great value.
As they are not aware to make helping others a priority, they are falling short of fulfilling their potential. Each team member has unique experiences that they could share with others, and help them.
If they do not do this then they are holding themselves, and their teammates back. It is our job to change that, and turn these team members into highly effective leaders. Are you up for that challenge?
4. Realising Your Potential
You have the potential to create so much value in the world by helping others. By helping others and sharing your knowledge, and ideas, you are fulfilling your potential. Don’t allow yourself or anybody else to hold you back from that. I believe you can do it. Do you believe you can do it and help others?
Believe me, when you start on your journey to helping other people, it will take many paths. What I mean is, you will be helping people at work in your team. You will be helping friends and family with any issues that you can contribute to. You will be helping people in the local pub.
You will be helping people down your local golf club. It is a bug that you will not want to get rid of, because you know you are serving your purpose and you are fulfilling your potential.
Every day I wake up, I leave the house knowing I need to help somebody today, otherwise it will not be a productive day for me. You will start to feel the same. Trust me.
A highly effective leader is not always the most valuable member of the team, he/she is the member of the team who makes the most members valuable. That is how a highly effective leader helps, and lifts up their team.
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You will also begin to do this as you start to share what you are learning on these pages. The impact you will have on your team members, and the others that you will help will be very powerful.
Helping others is very important when it comes to being a highly effective leader. The sense of purpose it gives you is so high that you will want to serve it every day. You will still have enough strength and energy to ensure you work on yourself too.
The difference you can make in the world by helping others is huge, and it should not be underestimated. How big of a difference do you want to make?
You and I have the ability and the resources to help a lot of people. It takes courage to start. Who is going to be the first person you help?
I welcome hearing how this post has influenced the way you think, the way you lead, or the results you have achieved because of what you’ve learned in it. Please feel free to share your thoughts with me by commenting below.
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All the best,
After reading this article, the better option is to serve others. It’s the right thing and the humane thing to do in this world. Thank you for this reminder, and for making me realise the importance and the advantages of it.
Hi Luvuyo,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really pleased that you found the article valuable.
The better option for a leader is definitely to serve their people, and not the other way around, you are right.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
By helping we elevate the others and thus get elevated ourselves as well – you are so right. It is heard a lot nowadays that we live in a selfish world, but I don’t believe it. I see so many helpful people around me, IRL, in digital communities and networks. It’s amazing! 🙂
Thanks, Tom
Hi Hannie,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really pleased that you found the article helpful.
I totally agree, especially since lockdown I have seen a lot more kindness from people and I have been the recipient of a lot more kindness too. I am pretty sure you have had the same experiences too.
Keep being kind, keep helping and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
Helping others and getting help ourselves in return is Biblical. The Scriptures tell us that by watering others we in effect water ourselves:
Proverbs 11:25 New King James Version (NKJV) “25 The generous soul will be made rich,
And he who waters will also be watered himself.”
Great post!
Joe
Hi Joe,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really pleased that you found the article valuable.
I have had many people quote scripture to me when I am writing my articles or creating my videos.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
Encouraging article. Helping others always helps me to feel accomplished because good leaders bring out the best in others. Thanks for the inspiring information and encouragement to make the world a better place one person at a time.
Hi Christy,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really please that you found the article encouraging.
I too feel accomplished when I help others. Helping others is how I feel fulfilled at the end of the day.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Another super great article. I am not quite confident to increase my influence. After I read this lesson, I think I can do it to make my team better without my hesitation.
Thanks for your good article.
All the best
Kumponchai
Hi Kumponchai,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really pleased that you found the article valuable.
Please do use this information and put into action what you learn. The more action you take, the more confident you will become in increasing your influence.
If you need any further advice or help then please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
It is true that many websites claim to want to “help you” when all they want is to make money of you. Helping others makes beautiful and lasting contacts and relationships.
I like that quote about leadership in your article: “A highly effective leader is not always the most valuable member of the team, he/she is the member of the team who makes the most members valuable.” It is very true, and more team leaders or supervisors should see this 🙂
Hi Christine,
Thank you for your comment and your kind words. It’s great that you took a lot from this article.
It would be amazing if lots of supervisors and team leaders were able to view my articles, as they are the people I want to help the most by being on the front lines.
You are right, helping others is how we build relationships and also build trust with others.
Keep helping others, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
What a well-written post! Your thoughts about leadership and helping people really resonates with me. I have been in management roles in my career for quite a few years and just recently switched my mindset to “coaching” people- This has truly changed my outlook entirely and the results are more than rewarding.
When you talk about being in a position to help and serve people, this holds so much value because it definitely fulfills your potential, as you mentioned. The knowledge we possess can bring so much value to those who are looking for it. But the key is how we deliver it. Most people in leadership roles are very focused on “getting the job done” attitude and give little importance to coaching or “helping” people get there. Your post here brings back the focus, purpose, and importance of being a highly effective leader.
Keep up your amazing work and I will share your blog site with my team.
Cheers,
Sasha
Hi Sasha,
Thank you for your comment and very kind words. I am so pleased that the article resonated with you, and I am extremely grateful that you want to share it with your team.
Thank you for sharing your experienced being a leader, and it’s great that you want to change your styles. As a leader, to continuously improve then we must adapt and change at the right times. If things work well then stick with them, if other things need improving then change and I think you are willing to do that.
If you need any help with your leadership or personal growth then please don’t hesitate to contact me.
All the best,
Tom
I love your post! One of my favorite quotes deals with serving others “If you really want to receive joy and happiness, then serve others with all your heart. Lift their burden, and your own burden will be lighter.” Ezra Taft Benson. I think being able to serve others is a valuable skill and one we should instill in our children and I agree it does make you a very effective leader. Thanks for this post!
Hi Melissa,
Thank you for your comment and kind words. I’m so happy that you love the article.
Thank you for quoting Ezra Taft Benson, I love that quote too. It really is what leadership and influence are all about – serving others.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom
Hi Tom,
Thanks so much for this article. It’s very inspiring and a must-read for everyone, not only those in leadership positions.
It really resonated with me because of my faith. I believe we are to always be the “servant”. It’s important to remember that there are many people who need help, even if they don’t ask for it.
It’s also a great way to stay humble, lol.
Personally I get great joy in helping out. It’s very gratifying, knowing you’ve helped pick someone up.
Blessings,
Suzanne
Hi Suzanne,
Thank you for your comment. I’m really pleased that the article has resonated with you.
The right leadership principles were derived from faith, and being a servant to your people is exactly how a leader should work.
It’s amazing that you get great joy in helping people because I do too. That is why I set up this website so I can help as many people as I can.
Keep returning, keep engaging and keep leading.
All the best,
Tom