2006-09-17T16:45:00.000-07:00

For letter words - JUST

Words have great power. Remember the old saying "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me"?

Words do hurt, words do help, and words give a clear picture of a person's expectations and leadership style. I recently heard a commmunity "leader" state that things at his organization were "just fine". I was surprised that it was ok with him for things to be "just fine" -rather than exemplary, very good, extraordinary. So I pondered what is "just fine". Is "just fine" average or tolerable (as we say in the south)?

My interpretation is that "just fine" is as good as he expects - and as good as his organization will ever be.

JUST is a four letter word, and being "just fine" is a phrase that indicates acceptance of mediocrity, an attitude that keeps people, communities and organizations stagnant.

Consider the following "just " phrases and consider their many meanings:

"I'm just fine" - angry, sad, happy
"Just because I said" - Mom (authority)
"She's just a kid" - excuse
"He got his just desserts" - revenge
"Just open" - new
"Just for fun" - no responsiblilty
"Just kidding" - covering an inappropriate response
"Just looking" - please do not try to sell me something
"Just in case" - advice
"Just a note" - don't take this seriously

Four letter words are words that have been deemed inappropriate.

To be an effective leader, choose your four letter words carefully. Not all four letter words are inappropriate - just, is a four letter word - just as LOVE is a four letter word.

Leadership Learnings