“I’ve got your back!” “I’ve got your six.” “You can trust me, I will be here for you.” There are lots of ways to say it, but doing it is an entirely different thing.
Do you have people in your life who support you, pray for you, stand by you, and look out for you? Healthy leaders create a culture of trust, mutual respect, and lasting partnership. If you love people, stand by them, and support them over time…through thick and thin, you will build these kinds of relationships. If you do this over time in a work or ministry setting, you can create a culture where the majority of the people actually look out for each other and watch each other’s backs.
Over the past two decades I have served two churches as Lead Pastor. I have sought to love, serve, and support the leaders I serve side-by-side with. Though I have not done this perfectly, I have tried to be consistent. In both churches something beautiful has happened. Our leadership teams (staff and volunteers) have become a community of people who love each other, encourage each other, support one another, and protect each other. They have each other’s backs.
We don’t have silos and turf wars, but synergy and mutual respect. I often see one leader volunteering in someone else’s area of ministry. It is normative for leaders to support, pray for, and cheer on other leaders. It is rare to see a sense of competition or comparison. We are a team. We have a common vision. We love each other.
If you are a leader, in the church, the market place, the home, your community, or anywhere, I want to give a strong word of challenge. Set the example of watching the backs of those you lead. Protect their reputation, look out for their best interests, support what they do. As you show a consistent example of loving, supporting, and protecting, this will infect the culture of your organization in ways you can’t begin to imagine. Give it a try…give it time…and see what God does.