Effective leaders inspire and empower their followers. They empower them in their own God-given talents and strengths. They help them see and walk on their strengths and work on their weaknesses. While there are many effective tools to inspire and empower others. A very effective tool is the power to encourage and acknowledge efforts. One mistake I’ve seen some leaders make is picking up a follower by putting others down. This can be a major detractor to effective leadership.
Effective leaders want to inspire and empower all of their followers. You cannot inspire or empower others when you intentionally or unintentionally pit them against each other or when you sow a seed of jealousy. And while I understand that many do not view their actions as offensive, it is important to look at them from multiple perspectives.
When we belittle someone while acknowledging the accomplishments of others, it causes conflict within the body of followers. Some would say they use these techniques to highlight the competitive nature of followers. To those I tell you, keep in mind that not all followers are equally motivated. Do you really want to risk hurting followers and stopping their growth potential?
Now there is a time and a place for all things and all techniques. And there is room for healthy competition, but there is a fine line between healthy competition and the spread of jealousy and / or discord among followers.
Now, I’ve heard some leaders say that their purpose in using this technique is to bring negative emotions and conflict-causing attitudes like jealousy to the fore in the organization in an effort to nip them in the bud. To bring a kind of conscience. And while this is effective in that capacity, it is equally important to understand the cause of jealousy. There is a cause for every emotion and behavior under the sun. Most of the time, jealousy is caused by insecurity, a lack of something. So the question is how do you treat the cause? If followers are jealous and insecurity is the cause, how do you make them feel less than helping the cause?
I am well aware that those of us who may be unwittingly guilty of this are not aware of the impact these actions can have on others. That is why it is important that you inform them. I have found that small changes in leadership can have a positive impact on morale within the organization.
Effective communication is essential in the art of leading others. When we communicate in any capacity, we first have to analyze the purpose of the communication. When the purpose is known, we can begin to communicate effectively. So when we communicate by encouraging someone or acknowledging their accomplishments, we have to ask ourselves what the purpose is. Is it recognizing an achievement? When it comes to recognizing an achievement, that can be accomplished simply by issuing the accolades. Other followers may be more inclined to improve because they are later motivated by hearing those achievements. If it is to encourage others to use their talents and gifts, then do so. If followers are motivated by words of encouragement, this could ignite their fire to progress in that area. The key is to know your followers. Understand how inspired and motivated they feel. And do that!
An alternative to picking up one while belittling others would be to acknowledge the deserving follower, but also to encourage others to be their best. Encourage them to use the talents and abilities that God has given them. It is important for people to understand that they do not have to do anything to be accepted. They just have to be the best they can be. Bringing out your individual talents should be a leadership priority and purpose. After all, that is God’s priority and purpose. It is not?
Please note that why we communicate; the intention of our communication is as important as the communication itself.