Nelson Searcy of Smartleadership. com argues that the best leaders rely on invitation, not intimidation. In building movements of evangelism and discipleship, we constantly rely on other people to join us and assist us in reaching the world through the military of the world. Searcy suggests the following process of invitation. I’ve found his principles critical to the building of staff and volunteer teams.
Invest
Effective leaders constantly seek to add value to the lives of those around them. Those whom you have invested in are most likely to join you in achieving your goals. Many leaders have faced rejection because they invited before they invested. Invest first by depositing help and hope into the lives of others.
Engage
You must touch the heart before you ask for a hand. Engaging people means that you must know the people around you—know what motivates them, what moves them. That means you have to spend time with others. When you challenge others to join you, discover and then ignite their passions. Such invitations are sure to be accepted.
Invite
Of course, no one will join you unless you ASK them. The consequences of not asking far outweigh the risk of rejection. But when you ask, personalize your invitation. Make sure it shares your vision, explains the unique contribution that the other person will make and asks for a specific commitment. Cranfield and Hanson argue that “you must know what you want, believe it is worthy, believe you can get it, be passionate about it, take action in the face of fear, learn from experience and be perceived as determined to get it.”
Empower
Once the invitation is accepted, you must empower the person to do his or her part. The foundation of empowerment is knowledge—knowing everything necessary for making the vision a reality. Leaders ensure others learn what they need. They channel information, training, resources, etc. to others. Our expectations are often not met because we fail to empower the other person to succeed.
Insure
Empowering doesn’t mean relinquishing the right to follow- up. What gets measured gets done. People want to give and to receive feedback. The cause is central and people want to make progress. Follow- up and adjust.
