Actions of a Leader: 3
INVOLVE.
Have you picked up on the fact that the six actions of a leader are presented via alliteration?
Initiate, Inspire, Involve…
So, today we come to a leader’s necessary practice of involving oneself in the lives of others. This is to say that the effective leader leads in the context of relationships. The effective leader not only prioritizes and practices relationship building with his teammates, but also among his teammates. “Involvement” is the pursuit of a community of friends where individuals have intrinsic value beyond the mission and organization. To be involved with others is to engage them with transparency and vulnerability.
Consider the best example from the Christian tradition, in the life and leadership of Christ. Here are some notable passages from the Gospels on the relational leadership approach of Jesus:
“And he (Jesus) went up on the mountainside and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him…” (Mark 3:13-14, ESV). Jesus’ call to leadership is something that he initiates out of a genuine personal desire to be with others. Before he wants something from them, he just wants to be with them.
“No longer do I (Jesus) call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you,” (John 15:15, ESV). Jesus built a friendship among his team. He also provided us with a necessary dynamic of true friendship. Deep friendship involves a sharing of who we are and what we know.
The Gospel of Luke records a famous moment where we see Jesus “in agony” and inner turmoil. Interestingly, he invites his disciples to join him in prayer. Sadly, he keeps finding them asleep, leaving him to suffer alone. But, the episode is remarkable in that we see a leader inviting his team into a deeply personal moment. Jesus' friendships are marked by transparency and vulnerability.
So, I guess all of this is no big deal. Unless you consider that Jesus, a carpenter by trade with no formal religious training, launched a worldwide faith movement. And his Church and mission are still alive today among over two billion people. I guess what I’m saying is, there’s pretty good evidence that a relational and community-building style of leadership is effective.
Here are some things you can do to grow in this area of leadership.
- Make relationship building a priority on your team. Build time into your schedule just to get to know your team on a personal level. Share who you are as well. Let them know you need them.
- Plan a staff team outing just for fun. If you have the ability, build this into work hours. Don’t do any work. Just have an engaging offsite experience that builds memories and camaraderie. Listen and observe. Do you hear storytelling? Laughter? Those are signs that people are warming up and having a good time.
- Celebrate achievements - and not just the big ones. Set a daily reminder on your phone to show gratitude, large and small, to one teammate per day.
- Support a healthy work-life balance. Encourage your team that life is bigger than work. Support their professional development. Enforce vacation time. Rested workers are more productive workers. Let them know that you want something for them, not just something from them. The old adage applies: I don’t care what you know, until I know that you care.
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