Who is Sharpening You?

Proverbs 27:17 from the Bible reads, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”

Proverbs are wise sayings. And this particular proverb reminds us that we need one another to sharpen one another, to hone ourselves, our skills, our decisions. When an iron sword is sharpened, it’s scraped against a rough surface. That surface scraps off the excess and hones the edge to its sharpest blade.

As people, we can sharpen one another through hard interactions like conflict. It requires coming against rough surfaces that scrape the excess and ugly out of our individual goals. It asks us to have difficult conversations that don’t feel pleasant, but which produce a better result.

This past week I was reminded that when we have an organizational culture where a person or group from the business, shuts down the input from other areas, the organization suffers. Morale drops. People stop offering creative ideas. Teams find work arounds and skip the system and process.

It takes courage to allow yourself to be sharpened, but the outcome is well worth the pain.

Take a minute to reflect on who is sharpening you in your workplace? Who are you sharpening? We need both to grow and develop. So go on and engage in the hard work necessary to become the best, sharpest you!

 

Keynote speaker, trainer, and consultant, Sarah Gibson, helps organizations leverage the power of communication, teamwork and diversity to improve engagement and transform teams. To buy her book or inquire about her speaking programs, please visit www.sarahjgibson.com.