If you are like most people, when answering this
question you probably would say "I'm a giver, not a
taker."
These terms are so engrained in our minds to
be synonymous with bad and good, that it is hard
to envision any situation where "giving" isn't
always good or "taking" isn't always
bad. In other words, regardless of the
situation, it's bad to "take" and it's good to
"give."
Well, not exactly.
The paradox of leadership means that it often
requires more taking than giving. When we take, we
actually allow others to give. Leadership is about
receiving what others have to give and contribute,
without exerting our will over them or the
situation.
Our society and culture are so focused with giving
at all costs that we forget to receive, or worst yet, we
equate receiving with "taking," which in other
words means that it is "not
good."
Being able to receive is a compassionate and
gracious act.
