Be Available

3 - Availability

Do you make yourself available to people under your leadership? This can be a very challenging task. As your schedule becomes increasingly heavier and your mind fills with countless obligations, it becomes more and more difficult to interrupt your current flow of progression and realign your focus on someone else's needs. But an important example of leadership character is displayed in the process, as your ability is worthless without the availability to apply it.

How to Make Yourself Available:

• Plan ahead.  If you program your mind already to be aware of potential interruptions as a leader, you are already in the correct mindset of an overseer. Being mindful in advance releases the mental impact of an unplanned interruption and allows for a more peaceful transition directing attention to the person in need. There will be less anxiety or frustration, and you will be more open to being in the right frame of mind to listen, understand and problem-solve the newly exposed need.
• Be organized.  As you work in a state of organization, there will be less of a mental clutter impact or distraction if your flow of thought is broken. You will be able to break away, redirect your thoughts openly and supportively on the other person, then be able to regroup and reconvene in the process you previously had underway. Your organizational platform could also be a beneficial setup to allow someone else to step in and help you with your project while you are tending to someone else IF your work is orderly, methodical, and easy to follow.
• Have an open-door policy.  Be accessible to others and easy to contact. People appreciate feeling you are reachable, concerned, and willing to listen to their needs, even if the timing is unfortunate or unplanned. If you are distant or closed off, they will lose trust in your ability as a trusted leader. Take responsibility for your position and the people under your leadership threshold, and be easily and readily accessible.
• Trust in your personnel.  As a leader, it is important to grow your staff or family in educational and encouraging ways. They should always be in the process of growth, development, goal-achievement, or some form of self-improvement. It will be a fruitful gain for their future and healthy morale, and a team-building connectivity assurance of a unified business or family unit. This team unity will allow for mutual respect in the taking and giving availability when needed.
• Be approachable.  Along with being accessible, your teammates need to know you will be empathetic and compassionate regarding their needs and the interruption away from your task. Be gentle and self-controlled, and always reasonable regarding the circumstances. Listen and think before you respond. These traits should already be preprogrammed into your mind, so your automatic responses will reflect this demeanor.
• Listen.  Listen to the chatter around the office or home. Be observant of the day-to-day conversations and ambience. Be aware of the relationship of the staff or family with each other. Listen and hear what they say and even be prepared for some anticipation of events. If you have an accurate pulse of your business or family setting, you could probably know some circumstances beforehand before they even occur. This in itself will assist in the awareness of a potential need for availability.

The key to this character quality is anticipating the need to be available and therefore preprogrammed preparation. Use common sense and be present to meet the needs of those you oversee graciously.

“God does not begin by asking our ability, only our availability, and if we prove our dependability, He will increase our capability.” Neal A. Maxwell

“If you are capable but not available, nature will raise a person with lesser ability to replace you soon.” Israelmore Aylvor

“To be able to impact the society and to be an agent of change, you have to make yourself available to serve.” Sunday Adelaja

“Your ability will not help if you do not give your availability.”  Saji Ijiyemi

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