Last week, we started a mini-series on leadership style. Leadership styles refer to the behavioral approach employed by leaders to influence, motivate, guide, and direct their followers. And I approached it from a different angle than the five common leadership styles that you may have heard of. We discussed that a good leader is approachable, accessible, and real. Don’t be aloof or secretive. Live life as an open book, hate hypocrisy, and love integrity.
Let’s continue the discussion today.
Good leaders are also sensitive to the needs of others. Cultivate a spirit of gentleness. Your tenderness will work wonders in the lives under your care. So, be real, gentle, understanding, and empathetic. We all appreciate leaders who consistently reveal their human sides. Don’t be fooled. Strong-hearted, passionate, gritty leaders can also be known for gentleness and grace.
Good leaders have affection for people. They don’t shrink from sharing their emotions. To keep this simple and easy to remember, I want to suggest that affection for people can be demonstrated in two ways: 1) small yet frequent acts of kindness and 2) stated and written words of appreciation. Those you lead should have a few notes of appreciation and encouragement from you by now. They should be growing accustomed to your expressions of affection that include small yet frequent acts of kindness. No one is so important that he or she is above kindness. That aspect of leadership takes courage.
I came across a couplet that summarizes this point nicely:
Life is mostly froth and bubble. Two things stand in stone.
Kindness in another’s trouble. Courage in your own.
I’m grieved by strong leaders who consistently walk over people. We wonder how people like that make it into significant places of influence. Here’s some free advice: If you don’t enjoy people, please, do us all a favor, don’t go into leadership. Choose another career. Everyone will be better off. Say no when you’re offered an opportunity to lead.
The world doesn’t need more bosses. We need more leaders—servant-hearted souls to lead with sensitivity and affection toward others. Love and affection, when appropriately given, fill the gap when words alone fail to comfort. If people know you love and value them, they’ll go to the wire for you.
Excerpt taken from Insight for Living by Chuck Swindoll.