Effective Relational Leadership

Introduction

According to the United States Marine Corps, leadership is defined as “the art of influencing others in such a manner to accomplish the mission.” This definition of leadership was expounded upon by General John Lejeune, the 13th Commandant of the Marine Corps, who said that leadership is “the sum of those qualities of intellect, human understanding and moral character that enable a person to inspire and to control a group of people successfully.” One component of leadership that cannot be overlooked is that in order to truly be a leader, you have to have people following you. At its core, leadership (in the military, in business, in church, in public service, or elsewhere) is all about influence.

Influence does not occur in a vacuum. It requires an ability to relate to others in a way that inspires them to follow. In short, influence, and thus leadership, is all about relationships. Below are four principles that leaders can apply that will maximize their ability to relate to and inspire others.

A relational leader sets the example.

The most powerful way that you can communicate the attitude and mindset that you want your group to display is to live it our yourself every day. Your employees will receive the message communicated by your actions far more effectively than the one communicated by your words, so make sure they match.

A relational leader is always be learning and improving.

Leaders who act as if they have all the answers communicate that there is no room for improvement. While you should be confident in your knowledge and abilities, you must remain open and willing to receive input from other members of the team and must seek out expertise in areas where you need it.

A relational leader seeks to get to know who people really are.

Great leaders have a genuine concern for the welfare of those they lead. After all, the greatest resource of an organization is the members who make it up. Effective leadership requires the you know your people beyond just how well they perform their assigned tasks. Individual’s all have different needs and motivations and you must understand them as an individual to inspire them to perform at their highest level.

Relational leaders focus on raising up leaders.

A leader who is capable of getting people to follow them is a good leader. But great leaders understand that the future success of their organization cannot depend solely on their personal leadership capacity. You must work diligently to develop positive leadership skills in your employees to the point that the team would function seamlessly if you were to depart. It is this leadership legacy that truly defines the relational leader.