Do we truly value people? Do you value people on your team? Do you know their stories? What fires them up? Do you view people as a tool or a treasure? What if we created an organization or team that asked people what they thought, what they valued? What if we allowed people’s dreams and desires to feed into our overall vision? What if instead of asking them to conform to a sterile vision we allowed the vision to be fluid and organic as it evolves around our people?
What if your church or organization led from the bottom up? What if we allowed those closest to the work to be the voice? What if we truly valued people and relationships? What if we truly turned it all upside down? Sure we would lose people….but who would we gain….what could happen…
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I would like to see this in action. Do you know of any examples? It’s a very intriguing concept! You ask great questions, but what would it look like?
Sure, I agree, we would lose people, but I think we would have much more to gain. It would save resources too for expanding future visions as well. I hate to be petty about it, but it’s something that has to be accepted. That’s easier to do when I expect the resource issue would go in our favor.
Leaders would do well to sit and drink coffee at a minimum or have meals together on a regular basis to create team and learn each others stories, fears, skills, ambitions, quirks, etc. Leadership in absentia and leadership by email do not build trust, understanding, or shared vision. The fluid vision has to start with time together….
You don’t “see” this in action … you experience it. Where it happens there are no observers, only doers. And it is awsome!
Most ‘leaders’ would do well to stop ‘leading’ and just start playing as members of the team. The coffee is better.
Dan, Almost and Daniel,
Thanks for commenting. I personally don’t know of a ministry that allows leadership with this style. Most of our churches and organizations are military in style with the majority of power held by a few at the top. Strangely enough the business world seems to be more willing to trust their people than we in the church do.
I think within organizations this can exist in areas or on teams. I see this in the area we’re moving to (the Nordic)….and my background in business rather than ministry has created this as my preferred style of leading…including lots of coffee!