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Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus (Philippians 2:4-5, ESV).
For years, the Harvard Business Review has been a favorite read of mine.
An article recently discussed the difference between inspiring vs. infuriating leaders (HBR, March/April 2005, pp. 136-139). I’ve experienced both, how about you? Surveying thousands of people in business environments around the world, the author of the article listed three differences between inspiring and infuriating leaders.
Visionary
The article. . .
Inspiring leaders offer a big-picture, values-based, optimistic vision of the future that propels people toward collective goals. Infuriating leaders, by contrast, are small-minded, valueless pessimists.
Pastor Grant. . .
How do we know if we are infuriating or inspiring leaders? Does our vision inspire others to see the big picture or infuriate them by limiting their perspective of possibilities?
Exemplar
Article. . .
Inspiring leaders are calm and courageous, facing danger and protecting others from it. They are also authentically passionate, espousing their ideas and principles with conviction while also embodying them. Those emotions and behaviors are infectious, encouraging others to be resolute, brave, excited, and driven.
The emotions and behaviors of infuriating leaders are contagious, too. They can make others anxious, cowardly, indifferent, and stagnant.
Pastor Grant. . .
Jesus is the best example of an inspirational leader. His example has enabled others to sacrifice through thousands of years of church history. Do we sacrifice as leaders or merely expect others to sacrifice?
Mentor
Article. . .
Infuriating leaders ignore, diminish, and control others. Inspiring leaders empower, elevate, and empathize with their teams. Confucius perfectly captures the positive effects of the latter approach to managing: “Tell me and I will forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I will understand.”
Pastor Grant. . .
Jesus flowed through others to enable them (He even gave them His Spirit). Do we ask others to flow through our desires and ambitions to accomplish our goals? Do we celebrate or demean the accomplishments of others? Do we micro-manage or give freedom?
Vision, Exemplar, and Mentor!
The author of the article explained how to implement these qualities. . .
My research points to four key actions: reflect, emulate, intend, and practice, or REIP. The acronym is a homonym for “reap” because I believe that leadership, like sowing seed, produces either a good or a bad crop.
Pastor Grant’s final comments. . .
The best leaders I’ve observed attract, inspire, train, and release other leaders. A great leader isn’t intimidated when those being mentored are even more talented than the leader.
Consider: What type of leaders do we attract? Who are we releasing? In one way or another, we are all leaders.
Let’s be inspiring, not infuriating.