You want to create a caring environment for your staff or leadership team. You also want to get things done. This dilemma is often one that senior leaders face. Yet it’s not the either/or situation we may think it is at first glance.

When I was a pastor leading a staff team, I was definitely the guy that wanted to get things done. I loved goals, accomplishing them, and moving on to the next goal. Yet I found that the pace I set wore out some of my staff, so—if I wanted to get anything done—I was going to have to change the way I was leading.

I began getting together with staff members one on one, getting to know them as people and enjoying them more. I began praying with and for them more often. I invited their feedback on initiatives and asked their perspectives. I was amazed in just a few months what a difference that made in the culture. We weren’t simply a working team—we were a community.

Guess what else I saw? I saw increased productivity. I saw higher levels of energy and investment. And I saw staff members beginning to engage in the same types of behaviors with the lay leaders they were overseeing. It trickled down.

Creating a caring environment isn’t done at the expense of getting things done. It’s a step toward doing things better… and in a way that’s much more aligned with the way of Jesus.

If you found this blog post helpful, you may also be interested in my book, The Leadership Difference and the Leadership Skills Guides, written to help you develop your leaders holistically.

Photo by Natalie Pedigo on Unsplash