Issue #93, October 24, 2012
Encouragement is a tool every effective leader uses well. It meets basic human needs in those who follow and encourages full development of human potential. To ‘en-courage’ is to ‘put courage in’ someone. Contrast this with ‘dis-courage’ or take away courage! Encouraging the heart is simply the act of giving courage, confidence and hope to an individual. Servant leaders, like Paul, recognize the power of encouraging the heart and use it to bless those they serve.
Examine Paul’s example of encouraging the heart.
Paul’s leadership is filled with encouragement. Perhaps he learned it well from his dear friend Barnabas who was known as the ‘son of encouragement’ and who played such a key role in Paul’s first years as a believer. In any case, Paul encouraged people’s hearts and was a good example of his own teaching, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:11) Paul encouraged people’s hearts in several ways. First, he noticed people. Many times in his writing he mentioned specific people by name. We can almost overlook the significance of this until we recognize that Paul was a highly respected leader. To be personally recognized by someone in leadership is a great encouragement. Further, he continually focused on the positive. There were times he needed to correct and rebuke and he did it well, but the general tone of his leadership was overwhelmingly positive. He often reminded people of what they were before they met Christ, how special they were now, and the amazing future God had in store for them. He also encouraged by his words. In his writing Paul uses some form of the word encouragement over 20 times. I can only imagine how often he encouraged others off the written record. He challenges all servant leaders to be encouragers.
Understand the power of encouraging the heart.
I need encouragement, you need encouragement, and everyone around us needs encouragement. If you could package encouragement and sell it, you wouldn’t be able to keep up with the demand for your product because it meets such a basic human need. But the power of encouragement is free!
Effective leaders recognize that encouragement increases their ability to influence others. The more effectively a leader learns to be an encourager, the more powerfully he/she will be able to influence others. Selfish leaders use encouragement as a means of manipulation to get people to do what the leader wants to achieve his/her goals. But servant leaders see encouragement as a way that they can more effectively influence others to be more like Jesus.
Encouragement empowers others to develop their full potential. Putting courage in others brings out the best in them and inspires them to act. It’s a powerful act of leadership that allows servant leaders to build teams that are energized to reach God’s vision for their group. They serve others by encouragement.
Accept the call to encourage the heart.
Servant leaders recognize that while encouragement is a spiritual gift given specifically to some, all leaders can become effective encouragers. They accept the challenge to grow personally to a level of maturity that allows them to focus on others instead of themselves and on the positive instead of the negative. They have eyes that see the call to encourage. They see the need to encourage and learn to focus on building others up. They see the best in people and have positive eyes. They see the future potential in others, not just present realities. They see the uniqueness of individuals and find ways to encourage that are meaningful to that person.
Servant leaders encourage others because they truly see God’s potential in every other person and want to see them grow and develop. Every servant leader can develop the art of encouragement and provide followers with an injection of courage. Be encouraged and be an encourager!
For further reflection and discussion:
- In what ways does my culture affirm or resist encouragement?
- If leaders focus on encouraging others, how do they receive encouragement?
- Do I generally spend too little time, enough time, or too much time in the area of encouragement?
- How well do I notice people, calling them by name? As I rise in positions of leadership do I remember to recognize, affirm and encourage those in ‘lowly’ positions?
- What needs to change, if anything, in my schedule to practice encouragement?
- Think of a specific person you can encourage. What good things do you see in their lives? Where have you seen them growing or changing? What loving act have you seen them do recently? In what way has their life challenged you to be a better person? Now act…encourage them. Do it with a note, with public affirmation, or in another way that will be meaningful to them.