Yesterday I had breakfast with one of my best friends in our church. He’s a WW2 Veteran that flew Boeing B-29 bombers over Japan. We go out for breakfast about once a month and I have grown to appreciate him as friend and patriot.

Yesterday were talking about Dwight Eisenhower (”Ike”). My friend, John, said that he never felt that Eisenhower was a great General, but he knew how to surround himself with great people. Because he surrounded himself with the best people, he did the job and did it well. If you’ve studied your history, you know that he was responsible for successful invasion of France and Germany in WW2.

My point is not to debate what kind of General Eisenhower was, but for you to think about the statement my friend John made. Eisenhower surrounded himself with strong people.

A good leader learns to surround himself with the right people. What are your weaknesses? Find people strong in those areas and get them on your team. Your setting yourself up for disappointment if you think you can do something great by yourself.

We have a close family friend who is a pediatrician. In fact, our KidzMatter offices are in the same building as hers. Like many physicians, she is one busy gal. She starts most morning at 7:30 and six nights out of seven doesn’t hit the pillow until 1 or 2am. She is single with no kids at home which makes this work load easier. I visit her office at least once a week to find a room full of patients, a desk with lab results that need reviewed, prescriptions that need called in, phone messages that need returned, and a stack of paperwork that needs completed and filed. There is no way she could manage all of this by herself. That’s why she has a staff. Her staff at the office and hospital make it possible to meet all the demands. She surrounds herself with the right people.

How about you? Who are you surrounding yourself with? Choose great people. You will maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.