Everything is for sale?
We’ve all had one of those friends or neighbors. You know the ones who are willing to sell anything they own at a moments notice for the right price. We hear, “everything is always for sale” at least once every time we are with them.
On the surface I can roll with it. Things are just things, and we should not be too tied to them. On the other hand – if everything is for sale … is there anything not for sale? Meaning – will money and profit guide our decision making every time – or do we have some priorities that aren’t for sale? Like – dinner with our families, dates with our spouse, attending our kids games, breaking a promise to a team member?
It was Christmas Eve, and I received a message the airline that we had the chance to change our flights for up to $750 per ticket! I got excited about this opportunity for a moment, but then realized changing Meg’s birthday trip for $1,400 might not be the best way to say Happy Birthday! We opted out of changing flights and stayed the course to Daphne Island.
We were sitting in the airport on the way home trying to fly out early after a debacle with customer service. We were on the flight … we were off the flight … we needed two people to not show up for the flight so we could get on the flight. Read that a few times. Then the message came through the PA system at our terminal, "We will offer $700 for anyone who is willing to change flights."
A couple sitting across from us starting to talk through it. The husband said, maybe I can just meet you in NYC and hopefully get there in time to watch the ball drop. The wife had a look of surprise and disbelief. Was $700 worth changing their vacation and missing their NYC experience?
The question started to swirl – is everything for sale? If everything is for sale do we have any convictions about what is not for sale?
It’s amazing how our drive to pad our accounts, to rise through the ranks, to earn the bonus, to get a step ahead can cause to us to put what’s important on the back burner. It’s so easy to replace what is actually important with the urgency of what seems important.
As we watched the couple discuss the options, we saw the demeanor start to shift as they actually processed changing their plans for a flight credit. The wife said, “you can do it, you should do it …” Everyone sitting around them heard the statements the same way every husband over 35 years old hears, “I don’t care where we go to eat”. The couple boarded the plane together.
At Insight Leadership Group we are focused on helping leaders love life at work and love life at home. We’ve seen that leaders who don’t have clear priorities, leaders who don’t have clear boundaries, leaders who don’t have clear values – are leaders who struggle to love life at work and love life at home. Not because they are ineffective, not because they are bad people, not because they don’t care, but because they always have to stop and think: Is the price right for my convictions to shift?
Leaders who know what’s not for sale. Leaders who have clear boundaries, who have clear values, who know their mission … they don’t debate if it’s worth it. They already know the answer and lead forward with courage and conviction.
Here a few resources we have to help leaders love life at work and love life at home. Take the next step as a leader or help the leaders you serve continue to develop.
Free Download: Insight Action Guide
Management: 201° Performance Management
Management/Leadership Development: Courageous Leaders Cohort
Executive/Leadership Development: Arkansas Business Executive Leadership Academy
Executive/Senior Leader Development: Courage and Conviction Leadership Experiences
