Becoming An Extraordinary LeaderSample

“Lead With All Your Heart”

The heart of a leader is the truest part of who he or she is. Your heart is the center of your emotions, desires, and wishes. Your heart is what most connects you with others. “Love God. Love others” begins here in the heart. It’s the relational dimension of leadership.

Leading from the heart is about earning influence through relationships rather than authority. It’s developing the art of emotional intelligence. When we lead from the heart, we see others as living, breathing humans with stories, emotions, families, strengths and weaknesses, and tragedies and joys. And when we see those we lead as human, we seek to relate with them through our God-given power to understand one another through emotional connection.

Leading from the heart means understanding the power of connection: knowing that one of our greatest human needs is to be known. We want to believe that we matter. And we sincerely long for those who lead us to see us as individuals: to see our unique potential and contribution, to help call it out in us, and to affirm that what we bring and who we are really matter to the greater story.

The heart of leadership is the start of leadership. When we connect with the heart, we earn influence to lead with soul, mind, and strength. Consider your relational leadership influence: How are you connecting with those you lead? Do they know you’re for them and that you value them? Do they know how their work affects the entire team? Do you know their stories and what inspires them and motivates them? Every relational connect you make gives you greater opportunity to lead.

Questions for Reflection:
• What is one way that you could encourage or connect with your team this week?
• Who could you spend time with to learn more about their personal story?