Follow the leader
https://www.facebook.com/JohnCMaxwell/
I became familiar with John Maxwell’s work as a teenager. Growing up in the church I had the privilege to be around leaders who required us to read wide and to engage in leadership development. Each leader brought different things to the table, but somehow John Maxwell won me over. The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, The 17 indisputable laws of teamwork, Failing Forward among others.
In all of John’s work, the central idea or theme that flows is that Leadership is about influence.
This has been Johns dream of sharing with the world that leadership is not just about leading people but how we can influence others. At the inial teaching about servant-leadership the world wasn’t ready, so he turned to other areas but brought a soft version of the message
#2. Two significant ideas espoused by John is that Leadership is about influence and secondly, the leader needs to be relational.
- I believe that in the context of my work, the influence and relational connection is critical. To lead people in an environment where you are not paid to be there, it is critical that you find ways to influence. One way of doing this is through the relational connection.
#3 my advice to John would be the need to make leadership training more affordable and use all the online channels to provide this training. I would also like to see where he identifies him within the post as opposed to persons generically responding on his behalf.
#4 His values, ethics, and principles are similar to mine. His background is coming from the pastoral with an aim leadership through a Godly perspective.
This is the principle of servant leadership.
So I close with the question, can one lead, and be influential without being relational?
September 30, 2018 @ 8:21 pm
Hi Jason,
John Maxwell is someone who I have been inspired and challenged by through the years and appreciate his thoughts around the idea of the influence of leadership.
You ended your post asking if someone can be an influential leader without being relational. This is a great question. I have seen many people try to influence others without being relational, but in most, if not all cases this ends in failure.
Another opinion guru on the topic of leadership is Ken Blanchard who would point out that as leaders we are “to model loving one another, forgiving one another and regarding others more highly than ourselves” (Blanchard, 2016 p. 232). God created us for community and relationships and this includes the arena of leadership. Followers want to have a relationship with their leaders. They want to know and be known (Blanchard, 2016).
As iron sharpens iron so relational leadership strengthens trust and respect.
Have you experienced relational leadership as a follower and how have you demonstrated relational leadership to those who you are called to lead?
References
Blanchard, K., Hodges, P., & Hendry, P. (2016) Lead like Jesus: Revisited. Nashville, TN: W Publishing, An Imprint of Thomas Nelson
October 3, 2018 @ 1:39 am
Hi Jamie,
I appreciate your response. I have read a book or two from Blanchard as well.
I have experience relational leadership as a follower. In leading persons, I have always started from the position that we are all equal. and in the context of the church, that even though I am your pastor we are equal.
By default, I am a true lover of people.
I have invested time with my people. Time to find out about their lives and how to add value. I have sat at their tables for a meal. I have gone to the courthouse with them. I have also sought employment among other things.
Another author that I have enjoyed Myles Munro spoke about Jesus encounter with the woman at the well and noted that He was interested in restoring her about he was also interested in her personal life. So. he zeroed in and asked her about her husband. (Munroe,2009 p.196-197). You see the woman was criticized for her relationship every time someone read her story. But there was so much that could have been deduced from her story. But Jesus took the time to listen and was able to restore her both Spiritually and personally – giving her hope.
reference:
Munroe, Myles. (2009) Becoming a Leader: Discover the leader you were meant to be!. Nassau, Bahamas: Whitaker House