Why does nobody seem to like me? Why do I keep failing at things I do?
Do you sometimes have these sorts of thoughts racing through your mind? The truth is you’re not alone. I also at different times and seasons of my life have wondered “how I can get people to like me?”
The Bible gives us examples of various people from who we can draw insights for living. David is one such distinct personality. Although he was just a shepherd boy that was practically forgotten and ignored, he was smart enough to equip himself with skills and attributes that would distinguish him later on in his life. In addition, he was quick to identify and seize opportunities.
David was someone who was loved and honoured by many. The people of Israel cherished him, also the soldiers he led admired his leadership. His reign as king over Israel was one of the best, if not the best reign in the history of Israel.
1 Samuel 18:5 gives us a peek into how David succeeded at being loved by all.
In this post, I’ll like to share some tips I learned from King David on how to get people to like you and how to ensure that you’re not only liked by people but you’re loved and honoured.
1. David did everything King Saul asked to do.
He followed every instruction and executed all assignments given. David wasn’t one to shirk his duties, he wasn’t one to give excuses, whether genuine or flimsy. He took every assignment with such importance that he always got result. Even when such assignments placed his life on the line, he faced it squarely and was always successful at it.
Take Away: Don’t be an excuse giver. Handle your tasks and assignments with utmost importance. Be result-oriented, don’t ever take NO for an answer.
2. He did his tasks well.
This young man made excellence his standard. Every task he set to do was never done shabbily. He always strove to be the best at everything he did.
Take Away: Be excellence-minded. Cultivate the habit of doing every task well, even your daily activities. Excellence is a process Just like you repeatedly do something until it becomes a habit, you need to repeatedly do things well till excellence becomes a habit.
3. So well that Saul put him I charge of his military operations.
Can you beat that? In charge of all the generals in Saul’s army was a mere shepherd boy with no formal military training! Wow! That is phenomenal. He must have been so good at his tasks and must have put in so much extra work to merit such a promotion. He must have trained himself even beyond his “job description” such that he exhibited skills needed to handle such a position.
Take Away: Do your work well but don’t settle with that, put in some extra too. Do your work so well that your boss notices you(don’t be a man-pleaser though). Train and retrain yourself. Train yourself beyond your job description, you’re preparing yourself for promotions you can’t even imagine.
4. Everybody admired and approved of his leadership.
Really? The soldiers who were supposed to be his superiors but were now his subordinates also admired him? Everyone likes him. David surely must have included relational skills in his toolkit. He must have learned how to relate to people in general, his colleagues in the army, his superiors, and his subordinates. The people not only liked his leadership style, but they also admired it.
Take Away: Be relational. Learn the skills required for initiating different types of relationships, skills for maintaining and sustaining relationships and even skills for conflict resolution. All these will make you loved, admired and accepted by people.
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Truly these require some effort but they are possible.
I think I need to work on each of them. Which tip do you think you need most? Or do you think you need help with any of the skills above, feel free to
Share and ask in the comments below