Lessons from the Dealership

I found myself unexpectedly looking for a new car and with a fairly short turnaround time.  I pretty much hit most of the dealership websites, narrowed my search, and found my "new" car.  Great shape - clean, minimal wear and tear.  I noticed a couple of minor dings probably from another door opening into it - but nothing concerning to me.

I had a great sales person who accommodated my schedule, wasn't pushy, and knew his stuff.  After I made my decision he jumped in with a last walk around and noted stuff that I had looked past and wrote up a work order to have all the blemishes buffed out and repaired.  He was going to make sure it was as perfect on the outside as it could be.  Great service - but more importantly, I am hoping everything works out as well internally with the car as the attention to the outside.

We can pay a lot of attention to our external appearances.  A leadership facade is created saying the right things at the right time to the right people.  We want everyone to think we know what we are doing - even when we might be struggling.  We smooth out those rough spots on the outside, we polish things up.  We look good.  But inside we are missing those internal cues, and time crunches force out a best practice.  Those habits we have that keep our heart, head, and hands aligned for leadership falter a bit in a busy time; and all of a sudden we realize that the internal engine we have as a leader is falling behind and needs some work.  Hopefully, we realize it before it breaks down at a crucial time. 

Personal leadership has to stay at the front as a priority because the inner workings are what support the outward appearances.  The Bible called this out long ago when Samuel was searching for the new king "...People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (I Samuel 16:7b).    When the heart, the head, and the hands for leadership are not in alignment, poor decisions happen and the facade is seen for what it is.

Spend time this week buffing up the inside to ensure the outside is more than a facade.