5 Ways to Inspire People to Follow/Embrace a Vision and Bring About Change

[James Nored]

In John Maxwell's book, Amplified Leadership, Maxwell gives five primary ways that leaders use to inspire people to follow or embrace a vision and bring about positive change, including:

• Relationship - Relational leaders build strong relationships with people. They care about people, and other know. They spend time with people. And all of this gives the leaders a lot of natural influence and ability to speak into these people's lives. This kind of leader alone, however, is limited in the number that they can lead due to their only being so much relational time
  
  
• Strategy - "This group of leaders inspires through their ability to organize, clearly state the next steps, and keep things running smoothly." Many churches want to make positive change (such as reach the lost), but do not know how. The strategist is able to analyze culture, situations, and processes that are needed to accomplish a particular vision. Done well, it is like turning on a light bulb. People will "consistently follow" this leader who knows what to do and where to go and can articulate it well.
  
  
• Passion - Passion motivates. Passion convicts. Passion inspires people to take action and follow. And passion is viewed as authentic. Passion is much more effective when combined with good, well though out strategy. 
  
  
• Competence - Competence in a leader gives other confidence to follow. Their competence does not even have to be in the vision area (though this helps). A preacher, for instance, might be to very much help people in getting onboard with a vision simply due to the credibility that they have in being an excellent communicator.
  
  
• Coaching - Coaches "are consummate people-developers. They bring out the best in those they lead, and help them become better" than they could on their own." Through this coaching, they develop great teams which help implement and support the vision with others.
  
  

Maxwell encourages ministers to narrow down the ways that they help people catch a vision, though all can and should be used at various points. I would say that for me, the two primary ones that I use are Stategy and Passion. My Doctor of Ministry is in missional outreach strategy. It is how I think.

My strategic thinking and theological training has led me to the "seeking the lost," "serving the community,' and "sharing the good news" outreach strategy. This is based upon the life and ministry of Jesus and some of the summary statements of his life and why he came to earth. This strategic thinking is always on, noting the holes and opportunities in mission in a church. This strategic thinking is shared by personally implementing and starting ministries and resources that fill the strategic gaps. It is shared in small group, staff and elder meetings, as well as across the table of many members at lunch and conversations big and small throughout the week. 

My passion for bringing about a vision is found much more in preaching (strategy is more articulated behind the scenes), showing the importance of seeking the lost, for instance, preaching about this, and giving examples and stories of the lost being reached (often through the strategies above). letting these stories affect me as they naturally do. Personal involvement in this, of course, is another sign of passion.

Of course, I use relationship, competency, and coaching in various ways to help the church reach its vision and make positive change. I meet numerous people for lunch (relationship), seeks to provide good ministry knowledge and help (competence), and help staff members and ministry leaders work towards vision goals and form teams based around Strengths and Spiritual Gifts. But Strategy and Passion are the most primary.

How about for you? Which of the above two do you use the most to help cast vision?