The concept of Brother’s Keeper, if properly practiced, is a valuable behavior that helps elevate individual and team success. Brother’s Keeper is simply helping others reach their best. Sometimes it gets confused with negative terms such as ‘ratting someone out’, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Holding someone to their best is not selfish, unkind or unjust. It shows that you care. Communicating that they could be doing better is a positive gesture always intended to inspire them to correct some behavior that you believe is obstructing their improvement or achievement.

The person receiving your Brother’s Keeper feedback may not always want to hear your perspective, so it may take an extra portion of care and courage to confront that person with your observations. Authors Patterson, Grenny, McMillan and Switzler call these situations ‘crucial conversations’.  Such conversations can be difficult for both you and the receiver.  That is why it is imperative that you have the appropriate motivation for the message.

When crucial conversations are delivered in harsh manners with unhealthy intentions they can be more destructive than constructive. They tear down rather build up. That is when the message can become distorted, if not destroyed. In the simplest of terms, Brother’s Keeper communications should be laced with love.

‘Our chief want in life is for someone to make us do what we can.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson

This statement by Emerson may or may not be something that you agree with, but I do know that I personally need help from my friends and teammates to get, and remain, inspired. Sometimes that inspiration comes in the form words of encouragement, other times it comes from being called out on something that has me off track. We all get off track from time to time and need to have attitude and action adjustments to get us moving back in the right direction.

‘One meets his destiny often on the road he takes to avoid it.’ – French Proverb

This French Proverb reminds me that there are times when I may be off track and wanting to stay there.  It sometimes takes the courage and caring of another person to help me adjust and get healthy again.  Ask yourself these questions and think about what they mean to you.

        1.     When have you inspired yourself with your courage and risk taking?

        2.     Where/when have members of your team inspired you?

        3.     What are your deepest dreams and visions for you?

        4.     Is there an area of your life where you are playing small?  Explain.

        5.     Do you feel worthy to inspire others?

        6.     How might you liberate yourself from fear to liberate others?

Inspiration should be job #1 in your life. You should be inspired and look to inspire others. Brother’s Keeper is a concept that requires courageous and caring inspiration to and for your teammates. If you think someone is off track, please call them on it. If you are called, you have an obligation to 1) take your job seriously, not yourself and 2) if the shoe fits wear it, if not throw it away. Your team should always be a safe place to practice Brother’s Keeper and to be held to your best. It is all for the good of the gang and every person that is part of it.