“Now listen to me, and let me give you a word of advice, and may God be with you. You should continue to be the people’s representative before God, bringing their disputes to him. [20] Teach them God’s decrees, and give them his instructions. Show them how to conduct their lives.” Exodus 18:19-20 NLT
According to John C. Maxwell, there’s a difference between being a leader and a manager. Managers lead teams by managing them and driving day-to-day tasks, while leaders inspire them to become leaders themselves.
One primary function of a leader is to influence a culture that benefits both the individual and the organisation they serve. As someone with several positional leadership experiences, I often had to relearn leadership.
For a long time, I was never able to influence anyone. I could effectively manage day-to-day deliverables, but that was it. It wasn’t until 2021 that I started breaking the ceiling I had placed over my leadership abilities.
In the anchor scripture, Moses managed the Israelites effectively but was getting worn out. Jethro’s advice showed Moses how to influence culture.
The Israelites had a way of life in Egypt, and Moses tried to lead them without uprooting that culture effectively. Jethro exemplifies how the Holy Spirit helps us when we need wisdom to do God’s work correctly.
How can we effectively influence the culture of those we lead?
Culture determines our way of life. If the culture is right, we will do work differently even without being led. If it is wrong, even the average manager will get exhausted trying to get things done.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re leading a team, your family, or yourself; fixing culture is the root. Everything else grows out of it.
So, how do you influence culture?
- You are a representative: You’re leading because you were deemed worthy to lead. This means you represent whoever placed you in that position.
- Teach and instruct: Some abilities, like teaching, come with being a leader. You may not regard yourself as a teacher, but it comes with the package.
Teaching is so important because we must replace current knowledge with new knowledge. We can’t do this by expecting people to know what to do; they must be taught repeatedly.
- Be an example: To show people how to conduct their lives and change their culture, we must be the first examples, showing them how it’s done.
When we teach, we tell. When we practice, we show. We can’t effectively influence the culture of those we lead if we don’t follow the culture ourselves.
If I must tell my daughter to apologise whenever she hurts someone, I must also apologise when I do the same. If I tell my team to focus on the tiny details, then I shouldn’t be found wanting in such areas.
Every new leadership responsibility calls us to become who we’ve never been. With God, becoming is possible.
“I lead with influence.”
It’s possible to lead without influencing anyone. What kind of leader do you want to be? What new knowledge do you need to become that leader?
God gives wisdom to those already active in work, not those waiting for leadership wisdom to drop. So, keep doing what you do, and pray for God’s wisdom. You might just have an encounter with your own Jethro.
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