Effective leaders inspire and empower their followers. They empower them in their own God-given talents and strengths. They help them see and walk in their strengths and work on their weaknesses. While there are many effective tools out there to inspire and empower others. A very effective tool is the power of encouragement and recognition of effort. One mistake I have seen some leaders make is to elevate a follower by putting others down. This can be a huge detractor from effective leadership.

Effective leaders want to inspire and empower all of their followers. You cannot inspire or empower others when you are intentionally or unintentionally confronting them or cultivating a seed of jealousy. And while I understand that many don’t see his actions as offensive, it’s important to look at it from multiple perspectives.

When we put someone down while acknowledging the achievements of others, it causes conflict within the body of followers. Some would say that they use these techniques to highlight the competitive nature of followers. To those who I say, keep in mind that not all followers are equally motivated. Do you really want to risk hurting your followers and stopping their growth potential?

Now there is a time and a place for all things and all techniques. And there is room for healthy competition, but there is a fine line between healthy competition and the spread of jealousy and/or discord between followers.

Now, I’ve heard some leaders say that their purpose in using this technique is to bring to the fore negative emotions and conflict-causing attitudes like jealousy within the organization, in an effort to nip it in the bud. To bring a kind of awareness. And while this is effective in that capacity, it’s just as important to understand the cause of jealousy. There is a cause for every emotion and behavior under the sun. Most of the time jealousy is caused by insecurity, a lack of something. So the question is how do you treat the cause? If the followers are jealous and insecurity is the cause, how come they feel less than helping the cause?

I am well aware that those of us who may be unintentionally guilty of this are unaware of the impact these actions can have on others. That is why it is important that this is brought to your attention. I have found that small changes in leadership can have a positive impact on morale within the organization.

Effective communication is essential in the art of leading others. When we communicate in any capacity, we must first analyze the purpose of the communication. When the purpose is known, then we can begin to communicate effectively. So when we communicate by lifting someone up or acknowledging their accomplishments, we must ask ourselves what the purpose is. Is it to recognize an achievement? If it’s to recognize an achievement, then that can be accomplished simply by issuing the praise. Other followers may be more inclined to improve because they are motivated by hearing about those achievements. If it is to encourage others to use their talents and gifts, then do so. If followers are motivated by words of encouragement, this could ignite their fire to progress in that area. The key is to know your followers. Understand how they are inspired and motivated. And do that!

An alternative to lifting one up while putting others down would be to acknowledge the follower who serves, but also encourage others to be their best selves. Encourage them to use the talents and abilities God has given them. It is important that people understand that they do not have to do anything to be accepted. They just have to be the best they can be. Bringing out their individual talents should be a priority and purpose of leaders. After all, that is God’s priority and purpose. It is not?

Please note that why we communicate; the intention of our communication is as important as the communication itself.