Let’s continue exploring the one big leadership question…
How do I motivate people?
Here I will discuss the second of four dichotomies when it comes to motivating others.
- Authority vs. Relationships
- Obedience vs. Autonomy
- Your Agenda vs. Their Agenda
- Shame vs. Buy-in
In leadership, especially church leadership, it is easy to default to the law of obedience when it comes to motivating others.
Isn’t it the first law of heaven?
Aren’t we supposed to be obedient?
How can we be obedient unless someone gives us a command?
This is an oversimplification.
You may demand compliance and obedience but you’ll soon realize you’re a tyrant and nobody wants to follow a tyrant.
Instead of demanding obedience, offer autonomy.
A great example of this is God Himself.
He doesn’t only give us commandments and demand obedience.
As the Great Leader, He offers us priesthood keys and invites us to drive the church for a while.
This doesn’t mean a leader with the keys will be “commanded in all things.”
God literally gives keyholders a chance to run the show, make the calls, and see how it goes.
He does this because it is such a sanctifying experience.
We become something more in this process.
In turn, those with the keys should do the same — offer autonomy to those you lead and see how it goes.
Let the Primary teacher dictate who is called to Primary.
Let the activities committee make all the decisions for the Fourth of July breakfast.
Let the Sunday School teacher try something new that has them excited.
Autonomy leads to engagement and engagement leads to people loving their calling.
A ward full of people who love their calling looks a lot like Zion.
Sincerely,
Kurt Francom
Executive Director
Leading Saints
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