Five Tips For
At first glance, this post may seem to be unnecessary. After all, the web is full of leadership tips and advice. There have been entire books written on leadership and on developing leaders. I know. I’ve read a good many of them myself. But in my many years of working both in the church and in the secular marketplace, I’ve seen very few people actually lead leaders well. Most people who have leadership skills have no trouble at all leading followers. And of course, if you don’t have followers, you’re not much of a leader, are you? But leading leaders is a different animal altogether. If you are a leader, you generally have an unspoken expectation that you possess more leadership skills than those who follow. But that isn’t necessarily true when leading leaders.
Tom Peters says “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders. Leading leaders will take you much further than simply leading followers. Leading followers adds to your abilities as a leader. Leading other leaders doesn’t add to those abilities, it multiplies your abilities. When dealing with leaders, they will think much like you do, they will have the judgement and strategical thought process that you have. They are able to see the big picture. And they care. Here are some tips for leading others who are capable of leadership as well.
- Recognize their potential contributions. Let’s face it, there are some people who possess certain skills and abilities greater than yours. Certainly not everyone. You’re in the position that you hold for a reason. But leaders possess certain problem-solving skills that followers don’t have. Recognizing that there are people who can lead beside yourself is the first step. Give them credit for their strengths.
In Ephesians 4, Paul informs us that there are many gifts that have been given to the church. Among them are apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. Recognizing that you are only one of the many gifts God has placed in your church will help you in understanding that there are others who may be just as well-suited for a certain task as yourself. Utilize that potential.
2. Determine the amount of responsibility that you will delegate. Not everyone starts out at the highest level of leadership. As you recognize leadership potential in others, you must also determine the amount of leadership potential in them.
In the book of Exodus, we have the account of Moses leading the people of Israel out of their bondage in Egypt. In chapter 18, Moses is visited by his father-in-law, Jethro. In this story, Jethro gives Moses some wise advice. He watches as Moses sits all day long listening to and judging disputes between people. Jethro’s advice to Moses is to select some men who are capable of leadership, and appoint them as leaders over the others. Some as leaders over 1,000, some as leaders over 500, others as leaders over 50 and still others as leaders over 10.
Jethro knew that not all leaders are capable of leading 1,000 people. And that’s OK. Give them leadership responsibilities in proportion to their abilities.
You should do the same. Give people responsibility according to their abilities. As they demonstrate that they are capable of handling responsibility, increase that responsibility slightly to help them develop their leadership skills.
3. Delegate authority, not just responsibility. Allow others to make decisions regarding the process. Millennials, especially, want the ability to give input into the decision-making that goes into leading. But the truth is –
none of us like to be micro-managed. You must give people the authority to lead along with the responsibility to lead. They even need the authority to make mistakes. By setting clear boundaries and communicating clearly, mistakes won’t often happen. But when they do, it creates a coaching moment for you to help develop leadership abilities in others.
Leading leaders means that sometimes you need to be part of a team in which you do not have the final say.
4. Lead them. At first glance, this may sound counterintuitive to the previous point. What I mean is that you should take responsibility for their growth as a leader. Emulate what leadership is. Be an example. Leadership is about developing people, not just accomplishing goals. Take responsibility for their development as a leader. Coach them through the process. Make sure that you debrief after each opportunity you give them to lead. Go over places in which they could have done things differently. Praise them for things they have done well. Which leads us to our last point.
5. Recognize them. Give them recognition for their accomplishments. Show your appreciation. Don’t take the credit for their hard work!
As you elevate them, you will elevate yourself in their eyes as well. This actually is counterintuitive, but it’s true. As they become more confident in their abilities, they will be able to lead and influence others better. Don’t make them guess about what they may have done right. Let them know! Praise for a job well done is one of the greatest motivators of people. Knowing that the work they did was valuable to not only you, but your church, and ultimately to the Kingdom of God, will make it easier for people to step up at the right time to do their part.
The best leaders don’t simply lead followers. They lead other leaders. Take a step out of the ordinary leadership role and lead, develop and grow other leaders. We can help you develop the tools you need to lead other leaders. Contact us today to find out how!
Tom Rawlings
Tom Rawlings is an author, speaker and church leadership expert. Tom works with churches and church leaders to develop sound principles for church health. For questions, or to inquire about having Tom speak to your church or group, please click the button below.
