A common misconception that people have about leaders is that the main thing that they do is tell people what to do. That may be true in a few cases, where all decisions are made at the top and the rest of the staff are simply implementing – but one person can only do so much, and leaders like that tend to burn through leader/followers at a high rate of speed. True leaders won’t stick around if they have nothing to lead…
A better way is to lead through example. Be clear – CRYSTAL clear – with area leaders about what the “win” is, and leave it up to them to get there. Unless there is a truly critical reason that things be done a certain way (something beyond the fact that it’s the way that you would have done it), let them try their ideas and course correct as necessary. An obsession with the “how” often means that you don’t have a clear enough grasp of what the “what” is. In other words, micromanagers often don’t have a clear vision of what they are trying to achieve, so they focus on nitpicky details, driving everyone else crazy over time. Plus, micromanagers tend to breed other micromanagers, except they will be using those “techniques” directly on church volunteers, and the results are not likely to be good…
Most of all, make sure that you are walking your talk. Don’t be immune to your own rules. If you value punctuality, be on time. If you expect a good work ethic on your team, work hard. If you expect staff to be loyal to you, be loyal to them.
The Golden Rule goes a long way…
“Setting an example is not the main means of influencing another, it is the only means.”- Albert Einstein
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