The Key to Good Leadership is...
Ever wonder how to be a good leader? Do you look at people in your life and think that they are good leaders and you would follow them wherever they go?When sharing with friends and family about my job and the people I work for I have worked beneath a great leader for the majority of the time I have been in my job. His performance in his job is obvious, but the reason I would follow him and continue to trust where he is leading me is one simple reason...Love. The man loves his employees and truly cares for them. But what I have seen and respect more than anything else is that he loves his family more than anything else in the world. THAT is someone I can get behind.LOVE is the driving factor behind leadership, and one of the greatest leaders in the bible knew this well...Paul. Look how he asked Philemon to do something in his letter to him."Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love." Philemon 1:8-9Paul knew that he was well respected and was an elder in the eyes of Philemon. He knew that realistically he could have told Philemon what to do (as an order) and Philemon would have more than likely done it out of respect.But Paul didn't order him to do it, he simply asked out of love. True leadership comes from love, not orders.
Related Post: A Leader Is One Who Knows the Way Goes the Way and Shows the Way
Just a couple of verses earlier, Paul compliments Philemon on the love he has shown to others."Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord’s people." Philemon 1:7If you have such love for others that you are refreshing the hearts of others, then you will undoubtedly have people wanting to follow you. This is not easy to do. I'm guessing that you can think of a handful of people right now that you don't exactly feel like loving at the moment. But that's the challenge and encouragement to you today. A song by TobyMac says "I was made to love, and be loved by You" and that's exactly right.We were created in His image and built to love God as well as everyone we come in contact with on this earth.GO BE A LEADER...LOVE SOMEBODY...LOVE EVERYBODY.I'll leave you with the motto of the Flint Tropics, a fictitious basketball team in a movie called Semi-Pro with Will Ferrell acting as the head coach / manager / player (Jackie Moon). Their motto which was posted on their wall in the locker room was simply "Everybody Love Everybody."