The ability to carry people with us can be a great asset. Not only do we achieve much more, but we also create a positive difference in their lives as well. It’s not always easy, but the joy and fulfillment of learning this art are unmatched.

We need to trust people. We often give responsibilities but tend to micro-manage people. It’s difficult to grow under the shade of an oak and soon people leave us for sunnier opportunities. We can carry people when we carry a relationship of trust with them.

We need to believe that ordinary people are capable of extraordinary things. Each person carries a special trait, sometimes they just lack opportunities. We carry people when we create openings for them, believing in the latent leader in them.

We need to be consistent. If moods dictate our decisions, we become unpredictable and often misunderstood. Clarity and consistency help us carry people.

We need to be mindful of the challenges people are facing in life. We carry people when we help them carry their burdens in life.

People will make mistakes, as do we sometimes. It is easy to reprimand but takes a mind-set to nurture them. We carry people when we co-create the space to develop and learn from each other.

We need to realise that more than money, people respond to respect and appreciation. The emotional need of being valued and recognised is extremely important. We carry people when we convey that giving respect is a universal value, not dependent on status or position.

If we carry a big ego, we will not be able to carry people with us. No matter how good we are at what we do, if we always put ourselves first, operating from a sense of superiority and control, we will lose valuable relationships and wonder why people don’t stay with us.

And when we reflect and work on ourselves, we realise the fundamental truth in life; we can effectively carry people with us when we carry love for them in our heart.

(Picture – The Pier Walk by first year students in University of St.Andrews, Scotland)