Like-minded... not like personalities...

I was in a store this week talking with a manager who is having a horrible time with getting new people in...
In his conversation this SM gave me the reasons that they had removed the last 2 partners and can't find new partners was that they don't fit their personality...

That got me... You know how many personality types there are in this world? You know how many people are exactly like you? not many...

One of the best things I ever learned in the career of leading others that God has blessed me with is that not everyone will be just like you...

When I was a store manager I took a step and hired a person who was a high class retailer who I KNEW had a different personality and way of looking at things. It was the best thing for me as a leader. It was as if I had hit a wall in my leadership and that caused me to BREAK that wall. He became a store manager then later that year. He was more qualified for my job then I was at the time. I learned from him and he learned from me. We didn't always see eye to eye but it taught me so much about working with those of different perspectives and opinions.

It is funny how things line up... That fit with an item that in our life as a family we had came to a finale today.

So that Sm and I had a great conversation about how I now have 16 store managers and of those only 2 would I go out to eat with on a personal level. And some of them I can't stand their personality. Yet they do a great job and will listen and learn. That is the key that took this district from last half in the company to #1 in the company this entire year.

The key is: Are people willing to listen, learn, improve etc... If given a chance and showing them a common goal. ANYONE of any personality trait can work together for a common cause. As Christian's we need to not surround ourselves with 'like-minded' people all the time. If Jesus always spent his time with church people of his day who would he have hung out with? Pharisees. We must seek out the lost, the lonely, the weird, the poor, the rich, the young, the old.... Only then will the church and we the body be what God intended us to be.