“If there is any great secret to success in life,” industrialist Henry Ford said, “it lies in the ability to put yourself in the other person’s place and to see things from his point of view.” Ford could have been talking about leading a healthy small group. After all, if a leader doesn’t develop the capacity to step inside the skin of each group member and see through their eyes, the group will surely suffer. Guaranteed. Why? Because empathy is essential to creating a safe place. Empathy opens a person’s spirit. Empathy cultivates grace.
The challenge for a group leader, of course, is that empathy doesn’t come easy. More often than not, we assume people think and feel the way we do. But they don’t. God designed each of us with differences. Each person in your group is unique. But in time, with shared experiences and by asking good questions, the astute group leader begins to recognize and appreciate those differences. Indeed, these differences become the delight of the group.
This article on leading an amazing, healthy small group originally appeared here. It’s an excerpt from Steve Gladen’s book “Leading Small Groups with Purpose“
