A Different Valentine

  1. February 12th, 2013  | 

Published in Accountability

For Valentine’s Day, give St. Paul equal time with St. Valentine.

St. Valentine lived in the Roman Empire and was imprisoned during the third century for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians.  During his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer, and, according to legend, he wrote “from your Valentine” as a farewell to her.

St. Valentine may help your love life, but look to St. Paul the Apostle to help you drive accountability in the workplace.

Writing from prison in AD 62 to the people of Ephesus, Turkey, St. Paul advised people to “speak the truth in love.”

To improve performance, start by being honest about what’s working and what’s not.  Attack the issue, not the person.  Be respectful, but be straight.  Sugar-coating helps no one.

So give St. Paul equal time with St. Valentine, and remember that accountability starts by loving someone enough to tell them the truth.

About the Author: Greg Bustin advises some of the world’s most admired companies and leaders, and he’s dedicated a career to working with CEOs and the leadership teams of hundreds of companies in a range of industries. He’s facilitated more than 250 strategic planning sessions, he’s delivered more than 700 keynotes and workshops on every continent except Antarctica, and he coaches leaders who are inspired to take their career to the next level. His fourth leadership book— Accountability: The Key to Driving a High-Performance Culture (McGraw-Hill) —is a Soundview Executive Best Business Book.

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