Investing. Helping others succeed is what leaders do best. Sometimes leadership is as simple as believing in others more than they believe in themselves. I have to remember also that I’m into Kingdom-building, not only church building, so investing in other pastors—even those not on our team—is a part of what I have been called to do. And, it should be noted, investing is not just talking. Leaders, in my opinion, do too much of that at times. It’s also listening to others and learning from them or at least learning them.
Networking. Some of the greatest doors of opportunity as a church have opened because of networking. Honestly, that is one thing that has made Twitter valuable in leadership. Quick connections with peers. The greater a leader’s success is often directly related to the strength and size of their network.
Walking. Several times daily, if I’m in the office, I walk through our building. I see people. They have a chance to ask me questions, interact with me and even share a concern. It’s amazing how this action—which many times may not produce anything tangible immediately—seems to endear people to my leadership. Leaders need to be present. Visible. Even accessible to the point they can be.
Planning. I saved this one for last and I almost said meeting, but that’s a very tangible action. But let’s be honest, meetings can also seem unproductive. I read the books and blogs about eliminating meetings—and I’m all about it when possible—but the fact is, a team has to meet occasionally. The problem in my opinion isn’t the meeting as much as the meetings where nothing is accomplished. Even planning may seem unproductive—even wasted—for those who are most wired for production. Many would rather do than plan to do. But preparation, while it may seem unnecessary in the process, makes success more attainable. Some of the best leaders I know personally are military leaders. Ask them how much preparation and planning they want their teams to have before encountering the enemy.
Depending on your wiring, some of these may seem unproductive at the time. That’s especially true for me when I get back to my desk and face dozens of unanswered emails, but successful leadership demands that we spend time investing in the intangible.
In which of these areas do you most need to improve as a leader?
