March 31, 2017 (Friday)
I have steadfastly remained disconnected from political commentary of any kind on this blog. I have maintained this stance from the beginning. I follow the same guideline in my preaching, reasoning that any given congregation more than likely has in it adherents of every possible political viewpoint. Feelings run deep when it comes to politics or religion. If I find myself in a situation where controversy cannot be avoided, I fall back upon some principles that were made known to me many years ago.
When I worked for General Motors in Arlington, Texas, in 1955, I was made aware that management personnel were required to take a “Dale Carnegie Course,” in which the principles laid out in the book, “How to Win Friends and Influence People,” were taught. The material in the course had little if anything to do with the assembly of automobiles, which was the purpose of the plant in which we worked, but had much to do with how people interact.
Each participant in the course was given a card that displayed these principles. One of those who had attended gave me his card. I have kept it all these years as a reminder to apply the suggested guidelines in my daily life as a pastor. Sad to say, I fail to observe these principles at times, but they remain as my goals on how to get along with people.
Here are the principles required to be a leader, according to Dale Carnegie:
PRINCIPLE 1 – Begin with praise and honest appreciation.
PRINCIPLE 2 – Call attention to people’s mistakes indirectly.
PRINCIPLE 3 – Talk about your own mistakes before criticizing the other person.
PRINCIPLE 4 – Ask questions instead of giving direct orders.
PRINCIPLE 5 – Let the other person save face.
PRINCIPLE 6 – Praise the slightest improvement and praise every improvement.
PRINCIPLE 7 – Give the other person a fine reputation to live up to.
PRINCIPLE 8 – Use encouragement. Make the fault seem easy to correct.
PRINCIPLE 9 – Make the other person happy about doing the thing you suggest.
It seems to me that these suggestions are merely a list of common sense ways of interacting with others, whether they be employees, employers, church members, family members, colleagues, coworkers, clients or anyone else with who you will share conversations about how to do things, and how to think them through. In and through all these principles there is one overriding concept: respect for others. (Click here to read the entire book online).
Jesus cut to the heart of the matter when he told us to love God first of all, and to love others as we love ourselves. He put all of the above into one great motto for life: “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”
