I receive a lot of questions like these…
- How do I get ward leaders to do their ministering?
- How do I get people to show up to activities?
- How do I get my bishop to be open to my ideas?
- How do I get youth to get off their phones?
- How do I get people to magnify their callings?
Essentially, these questions are really one question…
How do I motivate people?
As I have pondered this most-asked question, 4 dichotomies come to mind.
- Authority vs. Relationships
- Obedience vs. Autonomy
- Your Agenda vs. Their Agenda
- Shame vs. Buy-in
If leaders become aware of these four dichotomies, even if they don’t master them, they will be in a much better spot to lead.
Let’s start with the first one and then we can explore the others in the coming weeks.
When we are called to leadership in the church we are given some level of “authority” or jurisdiction over a group of people.
It can feel refreshing to suddenly be the one with the final say, so naturally, we jump to the final say.
Few leaders take the time to build relationships, also known as the infrastructure of leadership.
If those you lead don’t know you, care for you or appreciate you, they will not follow you.
And they will only follow you if you know them, care for them, and appreciate them.
How you build relationships is a topic for several other newsletter messages; however, in short, it takes personal interactions and a lot of listening.
This takes time but can be done quickly.
During this process, you may need to set aside your dynamic vision until you become the leader in the eyes of those you have authority over.
Go knock on some doors.
Go shake some hands.
Go listen to their story.
Sincerely,
Kurt Francom
Executive Director
Leading Saints
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