Legacy Leadership: Wisdom Of The Apostle PaulSýnishorn

Affectionate and Emotional – Part 1

There's a myth that permeates many leadership environments: It’s the idea that the leader must be separated from those he or she leads. This line of thinking suggests that a leader should maintain a stoic, dispassionate relationship with their followers. Leaders who follow this philosophy maintain what social scientists call a high level of power distance. They keep their followers at arm’s length. When leaders choose to do this, they cut themselves off from a vital source of important information. This can also create a climate of distrust.

Leaders choose to create and maintain distance between themselves and their followers for a variety of reasons.  Some do this to maintain a level of respect they believe they deserve. Others may do it to protect themselves from a level of intimacy that might interfere with their judgment. Still others have personal insecurities and fragile egos. They withhold information to maintain power. This prevents them from sharing information that might actually empower others.

Regardless of the reason, leaders who choose to maintain this distance make it difficult to build a climate of trust. Thus, the relationship between the leader and his or her followers never reaches its full potential.

Paul did not maintain a distance between himself and his followers. As we discussed in Day 2 of this plan, Paul had a low power distance orientation. He was among those he led, and he wasn’t afraid to openly share his feelings about them. In his letters, he often bares his soul concerning his feelings about those he leads.

“But we proved to be gentle among you, as a nursing mother tenderly cares for her own children. Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8)

“Among you” indicates that Paul was in the midst of the Thessalonians. Instead of distancing himself from them based on his position, he took a placed of equality among them. Far from trying to achieve some personal or financial gain from them, he was one of them, and lavished affectionate care upon them.

Legacy Leaders do not lead from a distance. They imitate Jesus who said, “I am among you as one who serves” (Luke 22:27). They are comfortable sharing their lives with their followers.

Reflect and Act on these questions:

• Sociologist identify power distance as an important dimension of a culture. High power distance cultures maintain a separation between leaders and followers and rely on formal structures to reinforce this. Low power distance cultures are characterized by a more equal distribution of power. Based on this brief description, how would you characterize your organization?
• These cultural differences can also be seen in the style of individual leaders. As you reflect on your leadership, do you keep your followers at “arm’s length” (high power distance) or do you tend to be “among” (low power distance) those you are leading?
• How does your power distance orientation impact your leadership?