Believe The Best And Understand The Worst

13 Mar 2023

Believe The Best And Understand The Worst

Anytime we lead or manage teams for long enough, we have opportunities to see people at their best… and their worst.

The best we see, that’s encouraging and thrilling. As leaders or managers, we want to see our team members, children, students (anyone we have the honor of serving) develop. We are thrilled when we watch them bring the very best of who they are to our world and everyone in it.

When we see or experience the worst… well, that’s far from thrilling. It can even be chilling. By the worst, I’m referring to any range of behaviors from complaining, to negligence, or even betrayal.

What are we to do when we see or experience the worst from people we are leading?

Believe the best!

Believe they are capable of so much more.

Believe they can make better choices.

Believe they, as a human, are more important than any problem they have created.

Yes. That can be painfully difficult… painfully. It can be so hard.

Does this mean leaders should excuse problems people create or give them permission to keep creating them? Not at all.

Does this mean they don’t face consequences for their actions? No.

It means while experiencing the worst, we believe for their best.
Believing and acting for their best…

If this is someone who works for you, it may mean they are honorably and ethically fired.

If this is a friend or family member, it may mean there are boundaries set in your relationship.

If this is someone who has committed a crime against you, it may mean they experience lawful consequences.

Believing and acting for someone’s best normally also means we have some work of forgiveness to do internally. Forgiveness never says “what they did was ok.” It says the opposite, “what this person did was wrong AND I forgive them.” Forgiveness doesn’t mean the offender doesn’t or shouldn’t experience consequences.

In any of these situations, facing consequences may be the catalyst that helps them transition from the worst of their behaviors and relating to grow into their best.

Believe the best… understand the worst. This isn’t for the faint of heart. It’s for the brave, the loving, for those who understand their own human capacities for best and worst living. It’s for those willing to forgive when it is incredibly painful and difficult.

Often, as we brave the waters of forgiveness, we need trusted people in our corner who can support us and help us find our way forward. If you’d like this type of support, I (or one of our VitalStrengths leadership coaches) would be honored to help you lead or manage, believing for the best.

Let’s keep braving this life and leadership journey together. Let’s keep believing the best about our own and one another’s capacities.

Believe the best and understand the worst.