ResumeWeAssist Enterprise

Continue based on extract from book, Engage to win – 25 Ways to Win With People by John C Maxwell & Les Parrott.

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You have not lived today until you have done something for someone who can never repay you ~ John Bunyan

Countless people could tell stories of how John extended himself in some way to help them along personally or professionally. Here’s one, related by Tim Elmore, a longtime friend and employee, to Les Parrott,

It’s hard for me to narrow it down. John has done so many things for me and I owe him so much.

Maybe something more personal will really show you John’s heart. John and I were in Bangalore, India, to teach leadership-a trip, I might add, that I would not have gotten to take if John hadn’t hired me at EQUIP. Before we left the country, my wife, Pam, asked John to keep an eye on me because I’m diabetic. If my blood sugar level drops suddenly, I get disoriented, I have no clue that I’m getting into trouble physically, and I usually need to go to a hospital for help. It can be scary-especially when you’re overseas.

When we got to India, John was received like a rock star! You wouldn’t believe the way people treated him. Overseas, people wait in lines literally for hours to meet him and have him sign his books. Anyway, John taught a session in Bangalore, and the crowd was going nuts, and the people were all crowding around him, and what does he do? He pushes his way through the crowd, grabs the kit with my diabetic supplies, and check up on me to make sure I’m not in trouble.

That probably sounds like a small thing but it’s hard to believe that anybody would not get caught up in that kind of moment and would instead focus on somebody else’s needs. It really reveals John’s heart and desire to do for others.

Tim got choked up as he told me(Les Parrott) the last part. I was touched by his story. But there’s something that made an even greater impression on me. All the people I talked to about this quality in John said that they desired to do for others what John did for them. Because they have been helped to do things they otherwise couldn’t do on their own, they’re inspired to give others a boost.

Ambassador and poet Henry Van Dyke observed, “There is a loftier ambition than merely to stand high in the world. It is to stoop down and lift mankind a little higher.” What a great perspective! Doing for others what they can’t do for themselves is really a matter of attitude. I believe that whatever I’ve been given is to be shared with others. And because I have an abundance mind-set, I never worry about running out myself. The more I give away, the more I seem to get to give away.

a. Introduce Others to People They Can’t Know On Their Own.

My dad, Melvin Maxwell, has done many incredible things for me during the course of my life. One of the things that impacted me most was his introducing me to great men. As a teenager, I met Norman Vincent Peale, E. Stanley Jones, and other exceptional men.

Today, I am often in a position to do for others what my father did for me. I love introducing young people to my heroes. I love helping people make business contacts. There are often times when I meet someone, and as we talk, it just hits me: I need to introduce this person to so-and-so. That can mean walking somebody across the room, making a phone call on his or her behalf, or arranging a meeting. Several years ago, I was talking to Anne Beiler, the founder of Auntie Anne’s, the pretzel company, and she mentioned in passing that Chick-fil-A’s founder, Truett Cathy, was one of her heroes. Since I knew Truett, I offered to introduce them to each other. I hosted a dinner party for them at my house, and it was a great night.

Please don’t get the impression that you have to know someone famous to help others in this area. Sometimes it’s as simple as introducing one friend to another or one business associate to another. Just make connections. Be the bridge in people’s relationships with others.

b. Take Others To Places Where They Can’t Go On Their Own.

Early in our marriage, Margaret and I were dirt poor. Right out of college, I put in long hours for my career, and Margaret worked three jobs for us to make ends meet. And we did manage to get by, but there was no money left over for luxuries, such as vacations. Fortunately, I had an older brother who loved us and took care of us. The first five or six years of my professional life, any vacation we took was at the invitation of Larry and his wife, Anita. A wonderful trip to Acapulco, Mexico, especially stands out in my mind.

You may have the power to give someone an experience that seems inaccessible to them. If you can’t help a friend or colleague, then start with your family. Take your children places they could not go on their own. There’s no telling what kind of positive impact it will make.

c. Offer Others Opportunities They Can’t Reach On Their Own.

Few things are of greater value to a prepared person than an opportunity. Why? Because opportunities increase our potential. Demosthenes, the great orator of ancient Greece, said, “Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises.” An opportunity seized is often a source of success. Help people win by giving them opportunities, and you will win with them.

d. Share Ideas with Others That They Don’t Posses on Their Own.

What is an idea worth? Every product begins with an idea. Every service begins with an idea. Every business, every book, every new invention begins with an idea. Ideas are what make the world move forward. So when you give people an idea, you give them a great gift.

One of the things I enjoy most about creative people is that they love ideas, and they always seem to have more coming. The more they give away, the more new ideas they seem to have. Creativity and generosity feed each other. That’s one of the reasons I’m never reluctant to share ideas with others. I’m convinced that I will run out of time long before I run out of ideas. It’s better to give some away and contribute to another person’s success than to have them lying dormant in me.

When you do something for others that they can’t do for themselves, you are fostering relationships with those individuals that are sure to be meaningful. Studies on what researchers call the “self-determination theory” have shown that supporting other people’s goal cements the relationship, since you are ultimately helping them a align their goals with themselves.

To apply, John’s teaching to your own life….

Forget about:

Focusing on what you can get from others and focus instead on what you can do for others.

Ask:

What opportunity, idea, or experience could I provide that someone might never be able to have without my help?

Do It:

Consider specific things you might be able to do for others by making a list of your unique skills, resources, and connections.

Remember:

We all need others to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.