I have noticed an interesting phenomenon when it comes to leadership; there is a considerable amount of time invested in teaching people how to be good leaders and in critiquing those who do lead, and very little time and attention devoted to teaching people how to be better followers. This is strange since we all are under leadership in some aspect of our lives, but we all don’t get the chance to lead. Given the frequency distribution of how often we will have to submit to someone else’s authority versus how often we will be the one in charge, you would think we would pay more attention to making sure that we know how to follow well. Unfortunately, there tends to be an assumption that being a good follower requires little effort; however, we can probably all attest that this is rarely the case.
One way that we can be effective in followership and a blessing to those whose leadership we are under is by encouraging them. We may be tempted to think that it is the leader’s job to boost their team’s morale (and they certainly should!) but that doesn’t get followers off the hook. It has often been said that “it’s lonely at the top,” and this is partly because people rarely think to encourage the ones who are in charge. Here are 6 specific ways we can do just that:
1. Resist the urge to complain
Anytime a group of people get together, the conversation can quickly turn to complaints. We all have things in life that we wish were different than they are and if we are under the same leadership as others, articulating all the things that we would change if we were in charge is a quick way to bond. Of course, bonds built on discontentedness are flimsy at best, and it won’t be long until that proclivity towards complaining turns to what people wish was different about us. Even more importantly, if we are a Christian, we are commanded to only say that which is good for building others up (Ephesians 4:29), and you won’t find that in complaints. Instead of being filled with critiques, may we be filled with contentedness because we recognize that even if we wish thigs were different, ultimately, we are all under God’s sovereign authority; we may not be confident in the qualifications or abilities of our earthly leaders, but we should be more than confident in His.[1]
2. Be specific with your thanks
I know it has been said before in this series but giving heartfelt and specific thanks is a great way to encourage anyone, including a leader. Often when we consider all that a leader does, we think, “well, that’s the job!” – and perhaps that is true. However, when we do the work that we are called to – whether that is in our place of employment, in our service at church, or as a parent, we all love to be acknowledged and appreciated. The same is true for those who lead. If you have a personal relationship with a leader – a boss, pastor or ministry leader, coach, teacher, etc. – make sure you directly express gratitude for the specific things that they do to bless and serve you. If you don’t have a personal relationship – you can still give thanks. First, you can express gratitude to your Heavenly Father who uniquely and wonderfully created that leader and who is at work accomplishing His purposes through their role. Secondly, if there is a public way for you to issue a complaint about that leader, instead use it to express your thanks. Perhaps they will never see it, but you are still changing the public discourse to be one of appreciation rather than discord. Remember – someone doesn’t have to the world’s best leader in order to be a recipient of your gratitude. Appreciation should not be contingent on perfection, otherwise the only person to receive our thanks would be God.
3. Do your tasks with joy
Although closely related to resisting the urge to complain, this method of encouragement is about what we will do – namely, to be joyful as we fulfill our responsibilities. Even when we find tasks mundane, we can have joy because we recognize that joy is found in Christ, not in what we accomplish or who is in charge. Can you imagine the difference it would make if bosses, government leaders, educators, and pastors encountered people of joy as they went about their jobs? The amount of acrimony and tension would be greatly reduced, and everyone would probably be more effective in their roles. Again, please understand that being a joyful person does not mean that you don’t acknowledge and work to address injustice or wrongdoing. but it does mean that you maintain an eternal perspective on the sin and disappointments that you encounter. There will be a day when wrongs will be made right, and while that day is not this day, you can find joy in Christ until that day is here.
4. Be a person of peace
Any time there is a group of people under the same leader, there are bound to be disputes. Sometimes there may be legitimate reasons for these disagreements, but far too often, contentious interactions are centered on personal preferences and petty grievances. Of course, there is nothing wrong with having a different perspective than someone else (as long as your perspective is consistent with Scripture), but we must be sure those conversations are not filled with selfishness and pride. Proverbs 19:11 teaches us that “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is to his glory to overlook an offense.” We can’t always overlook an offense (if someone is harming themselves or someone else, for instance, we should be quick to reveal and address this), but when we can, when it is something that in the grand scheme of things is inconsequential or insignificant, it is to our credit to do so. When we are people of godly peace, not only do we encourage our leaders and make their job easier, but we help create a peaceful environment for everyone around us as well.
5. Work diligently
Colossians 3:23-24 teaches us that we should work hard, because ultimately we are working for God and not for man. While this certainly has application to our places of employment, it is also relevant to any investment of time, effort and talent. When we do our best, when we are diligent about the tasks that we have been given to do, we honor those in charge and honor God. Having dependable people who will be faithful to do the work that they have been given, is a great encouragement to leaders.
There may be a temptation to think that our diligence doesn’t matter as long as we get the job done. However, in his book Words of Counsel, Charles Spurgeon effectively shows the fallacy of this perspective. He writes:
What a mean and beggarly thing it is for a man only to do his work well when he is watched. Such oversight is for boys at school and mere hirelings. You never think of watching noble-spirited men………Oh, no; gracious minds outgrow the governance and stimulus which comes of the oversight of mortal man. God’s own Spirit dwells within us, and we serve the Lord from an inward principle, which is not fed from without. There is about a real Christian a prevailing sense that God sees him, and he does not care who else may set his eye upon him; it is enough for him that God is there…..This is to be a true servant of Christ; to escape from being an eye-servant to men by becoming in the sublimest sense an eye-servant, working ever beneath the eye of God.
May our diligence in our roles bring glory to God, and as we work hard, may we be confident that we are being an encouragement to our leaders as well.
6. Pray for your leaders
While it is last in this list, this means of encouragement is first in preeminence. Even if our leaders never know that we are praying for them (but let’s tell them, if we can), petitioning God on their behalf will be a great encouragement as they bear the weight of their responsibilities. James 5:16 teaches us that the prayers of a righteous person can have a great impact, and yet we are often slow to ask God to work in the lives of our leaders. Let us help our leaders be better leaders by asking God to work in and through them for His good purposes. Ultimately, our leaders will be encouraged the most when they find their satisfaction in God and rely on Him for all that they need to lead well. May we faithfully ask that this be true of those who lead us, being quick to talk to God about what we see as lacking their leadership, and only when absolutely necessary, discussing it with anyone else.
It may be counterintuitive to think that we should take on the task of encouraging those who are in charge. As already mentioned, we may think that it is their responsibility to encourage us rather than the other way around. However, we will not be held accountable for how someone else leads, but we will be held to account to how we respond to those who are in charge. Titus 2:9 teaches that one of our responsibilities is to adorn the Gospel to our leaders There are few better ways to do this than by being an encouragement to those who lead.
[1] Although I would hope that it would go without saying, there is a difference between having a complaining spirit, and providing an honest assessment and working towards godly change. We do not have to be a person who complains in order to be a person of change. In fact, the more time we focus on doing good and working towards God’s purposes, the less time we will have to dwell on our preferences. And when our preferences (rather that God’s) are the focus of our attention, we are more apt to be a person of complaints.
