You are who you surround yourself with. Parents teach their children this. Wise children listen. We talked yesterday about the pitfalls of “group think.” Conversely today, the discussion will revolve around who we need to surround ourselves with. Hint: It isn’t the group think crowd.
wise counsel: having or showing the ability to make good judgments, based on a deep understanding and experience…
Surround yourself with people who have your best interest heart, the best interest of students at heart, and the best interest of the organization at heart. They need to have a history of wise decisions. You might not even be friends, but you know that person will offer good counsel to you regardless of your differences. Why? People who are good counsel…they have integrity regardless of the situation. You need a room full of people who will tell you the truth, to be honest, and to offer smart advice when needed.
1 Cor 15: 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Proverbs 11: 14 Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Psalm 26: 4-5 I do not sit with men of falsehood, nor do I consort with hypocrites. I hate the assembly of evildoers, and I will not sit with the wicked.
Proverbs 13:20 Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
Proverbs 12: 15 The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.
Psalm 111: 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding. To him belongs eternal praise.
If you are a person of influence, there will be plenty of people around you who will offer what you want to hear and/or offer what is in their own best interest.
Matthew 17: 13-14 Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
In this verse from Matthew, Jesus is the gate. He is the narrow path. When we seek counsel, we don’t want people around us who take the wide road, i.e. the easy way out. We want people around us who will do what is right despite what it costs them personally. Seek those folks out, and avoid the advice of bad counsel like the plague!
Pro Tip: The very best coaches are honest. You can’t get better at something without honesty.
