FEBRUARY 8 • TRUE LEADERSHIP • EPISODE 39
Lonely Leading? 
Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted. Psalm 25:16
I’m sure you’ve heard the maxim, It’s lonely at the top. Here is the truth — if you’re lonely, you’re leading incorrectly. Yes, you have to make tough and controversial decisions — ones that only you make. Yes, you have to deal with difficult people sometimes. Yes, the buck stops with you — at least for your department. Yes, if you’re a middle manager you have to deal with people below, beside, and above you. But if you lead correctly, you can still do these things — and not be alone — though, there will be times of loneliness when you must lead against the odds. One of the principles of leadership — and life — is to bring people with you. Don’t do it alone (especially with family). Train people as you go. Bring them in to make decisions with you. Include them in the process. To get to a Level 2 Leader, you build relationships, which means you are connecting with others. If you are a loner, you will eventually fail. Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil (Ecclesiastes 4:9). The idea is that two (or more) can accomplish more than the sum of the number of workers.
Some people work better alone — I get that. But leadership means we are leading and others are following — that means together. That doesn’t mean we are always elbow to elbow — we all have our own tasks to do.
Set up time for the team to be together to just enjoy each others company. Maybe a lunch, outing, movie night, coffee break, something. Team building inside and outside of work is paramount. Doesn’t need to be weekly, but once a month is acceptable — every quarter at the very least. Especially if there are folks working locally by remote.
Don’t forget to build a deeper relationship with your boss, too — even if she doesn’t want to! Yes! It’s crucial for her to grow closer to her people. That’s one of the ways you lead up. Most (but not all) bosses are higher Dominant personalities (Outgoing and Task oriented) and generally don’t like to mix — they like to work, delegate, and go home. But they need to build relationships in order to grow through Level 2 toward Level 5.
Start conversations. Bring others into the discussion. Build relationships!
Pray: Lord, you are my Strong Tower and you care for me! I am also made for community — help me bring others along for the journey!
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