Byron's Babbles

In Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis said that God is “easy to please, but harder to satisfy.” In that context, I believe Lewis meant that God is easy to please in the sense that He delights in our sincere efforts and desires to have a relationship with us. However, God is harder to satisfy in the sense that He desires us to seek true fulfillment and satisfaction in Him alone, rather than in temporary things or immediate gratification. In other words, while it may be relatively simple to please God through our genuine pursuit of Him, finding deep and lasting satisfaction in Him requires a greater effort and a commitment to prioritize Him above all else. Also, I believe God is never satisfied because he wants us to continually improve and be the best we can be.

We can take a few big lessons away from the simple statement of “easy to please, but harder to satisfy” for our everyday lives as leaders. It is relatively simple to find temporary satisfaction or pleasure in small things or immediate gratification. We need to celebrate those small things in those we serve as well as ourselves. Being easy to please as a leader means being open-minded flexible, and appreciative of the efforts and achievements of our team. It means recognizing and acknowledging their hard work and providing positive reinforcement regularly. This creates a positive and motivating work environment.

However, finding long-term, deep satisfaction requires a much greater effort and cannot be easily achieved. We must work extremely hard to help those we serve be the very best they can be and not be satisfied. Being hard to satisfy means setting high standards and expectations for yourself and your team. It means constantly seeking improvement, challenging the status quo, and pushing for excellence. It means not settling for mediocrity and always striving for growth and development.

Here is how we might put this into practice:

1. Clearly communicate our expectations and standards to our teams.
2. Encourage and recognize the efforts and achievements of our team members regularly.
3. Provide constructive feedback and guidance to help our teams and team members improve.
4. Continuously challenge ourself and our teams to set higher goals and strive for excellence.
5. Lead by example and demonstrate a commitment to constant improvement.
6. Foster a culture of innovation, creativity, and continuous learning within our organizations.
7. Provide opportunities for professional development and growth for ourteam members.

Make no mistake, being easy to please doesn’t mean accepting mediocrity, and being hard to satisfy doesn’t mean being unappreciative. It’s about finding a balance and creating an environment where both personal and professional growth can flourish. This environment is what I believe is loving those we serve.