Here ere are principles for being
effective whether you lead or manage a large or small organization — or church
.
One of the chief goals of this blog
is to encourage better leadership. In this post, I’m including the term
management. I believe the two are different functions, but both are vital to a
healthy organization. Whether you lead or manage a large or small organization
— or church — there are principles for being effective.
Be aware – Know your team. People are individuals. They have unique
expectations and they require different things from leadership. Some require
more attention and some less. Use personality profiles or just get to know them
over time, but learn the people you are supposed to be leading or managing.
Be open – Let them know you — as a person outside of the role as
leader or manager. Be transparent enough that they can learn to trust you.
Be responsive – Don’t leave people waiting too long for a response. They’ll
make up their own if you do — and it’s usually not the conclusion you want them
to reach.
Be approachable – You can’t be everything to everyone, and you may not always
be available, but for the people you are called to lead or manage, you need to
be approachable. They need to know if there is a problem — or a concern — you
will be receptive to hearing from them. I realize the larger the
organization the more difficult this becomes, but build systems that allow you
to hear from people at every level within the organization.
Be consistent – Over time, the team you lead or manage needs to know you
are going to be dependable. The world is changing fast. It’s hard to know who
to trust these days. We certainly need to be able to trust people we are
supposed to follow.
Be trustworthy – Follow through on what you say you will do. If you make a
promise — keep it. If you can’t support something — say it. If you’re not going
to do it — say no. Let your word be your bond. Spend time building and
protecting your character. Be the quality of person you would want to follow.
Be appreciative – Recognize you can’t do it alone. Be grateful. Be rewarding.
Celebrate. Love others genuinely and display it well.
What would you add? Upon which of
these do you most need to improve?
