Are you responsible for leading people? Do you have a heart to see others reach their full potential? Is there a cause on your heart that drives your every day? You are a leader, my friend. And how you handle that role means everything to those you lead.
In I Kings 12, Rehoboam inherited his father’s throne. He was approached by his people with a simple request to lighten the load of work. They were willing to serve Rehoboam, but the workload was unreasonable.
Rehoboam could have used his authority here to empower his people, but instead, he dominated them and spoke very harsh words. In the end, the Kingdom of Israel was divided.
As a leader, you have the influence to either empower or dominate those who follow you. It doesn’t mean you must compromise your goals to match everyone’s preference. It does mean you lead with compassion. To be a great leader, you must adopt these two realities:
- A driving passion for a certain cause
- Accomplishing it through real people (with feelings, limitations, insecurities, etc)
If you’re all about the cause and lead without compassion, you will dominate and alienate those who follow you. They will leave you. If you are all about the people and have no driving passion, you will simply have a social club.
You must have a cause that burns in your heart and yet lead in such a way that empowers others to accomplish it with you.
How do I empower, you may ask?
More to come…