Achieved Strategies

He had no direction in his service. He eloquently delivered his words to a room packed with about 300 people, but his rambling talk had no discernible message. 300 of us took time away from our busy morning to listen to the pastor. He had worked on his content for months. Yet he lost me (and many others based on comments on the way out of church) in a rambling message that irritated instead of lifted. He got emotional about his message, but the emotion was lost on most of the audience. He bashed others for their beliefs. He excluded others, instead of inviting others with his words and message.  He missed out on an opportunity to connect with us.

This has nothing to do with religion.  It has everything to do with leveraging the opportunities to connect with people.

Being Present

I wanted to walk out. The pastor wasted our time. No matter the chosen profession or “advocation,” a leader’s responsibility is to be present. 

Connect with people by knowing the audience. Understand your environment. Find ways to understand the history of a group, the team.

Be prepared to unite people. Be prepared to set the context.

Outcomes of Being Present

As a leader, when you are present, you uncover ways to influence.

Connect with clear intent. Communicate with clarity.

Create meaning in workplaces.

Restore optimism in teams, in organizations.

Being present as a leader isn’t just about sparking motivation. It’s also about being present to spark motivation to co-create the results needed for organizational success.

A leader’s message is more likely to be heard when he meets his people where they are and then takes them forward. This is the leader’s reward: a team who supports the message, it’s purpose, and works together to create a shared outcome.

What would you add to the list of outcomes? What would you add to this idea?

Photo courtesy of magic medicine