Jeremiah 31:3 - The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.
Today with many leaders that I have come in contact with, they want to rule with an iron fist and use fear tactics and a dictator style of leadership as a means to get staff motivated to work harder. They threaten to discipline for every fall out that may occur. However, we see the reverse effect of such a style. While you may be saying, “well duh I know this…” There are many leaders out there who may not realize that this is what they are doing. Therefore, I challenge you to take a proactive approach and in love – point out to that other leader an opportunity for improvement in their style of leading.
As a Christian leader, our goal is to love and respect and to positively encourage our staff members into doing their jobs to the highest degree of proficiency.
Through the years, I have gained much respect by those whom I have been graced to lead through the basic fundamental principle of “treating people the way I want to be treated!” It’s really as simple as that. Here are 5 things that you can do to lead like Jesus:
- Do not speak to people in a manner that you would not like to be spoken to. Do not use condescending or snide remarks when they present issues.
- Take the time to listen to your staff when they need to express.
- Walk a day in their shoes. If you do not take the time to do direct observation of your staff member’s work processes, more than likely you do not understand their level of frustration.
- Empathize with your staff. Demonstrate to them that you understand what challenges they may be facing. Work ‘together’ to find the best resolution; don’t simply push the objective on them. Allow them to be a part of the decision making process.
- Thank them for their hard work and dedication and do so sincerely.
