It’s a weird thing. I attend many conferences. Sometimes they are single-company conferences. It seems as if I’m always introducing people–even within the same company. I just connect people.
Recently I went to the wake of a leader. Listening to the stories about him, it was clear that he was a connector. Aside from also being humble and ethical, his connections and how he connected people stood out as his legacy.
Then I thought about the Apostle Paul. We usually study his writings in order to compile a list of rules for churches (or sometimes countries depending upon your political bent).
What if we looked at them from the point-of-view of leadership? Think of all the times he was “commending” people to other people.
Then there was the slave (a little bit different meaning than our slaves in the South pre-Civil War, but still…). His name was Onesimus. He belonged to a little fellowship of Jesus-followers. He ran away. Wound up serving Paul in a distant city.
Paul writes to his owner. Philemon, he writes, please welcome Onesimus back. “He’s a beloved brother,” he writes. Look at the situation from the point-of-view of love rather than the harsh view of the law.
Always connecting people. And that in an era when mail delivery was slow and uncertain. It took days or weeks to travel to some of these places where we could drive in a day or two. Or fly in a couple of hours.
Somehow he kept track of people and introduced them to each other, encouraged them, tried to get them to get along with each other.
America is not the only country in the world that is crying out for more connectors right now. But we could really use some leaders, and not exclusively political ones, who connect rather than sever relations.
And we have to ask, what is our role in that effort? Do we divide or connect?
Tags: Leadership, Peace
Faith Venture 
November 18, 2016 at 8:32 am |
Excellent point Liz Wiseman identifies a similar group “multipliers” they make those around them better you are both!
Thanks for sharing
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