RELATIONSHIP—spending time with one another, getting to know one another, and going beyond just working together—is imperative. Leading well involves a depth of relationship that goes beyond partnership or collaboration. It flows within the communal theme mentioned above but goes further pressing into deep personal ties.
Example
Daniel Amos, CEO of Aflac, caught this people-centered vision of leadership from his father and uncles. He remembers them saying,
“If you take care of your people, they’ll take care of the business.”
How can I grow as a relational, polycentric leader?
Do you value, build, and nurture relationships, even as you cast vision? People are desperate for friends and mentors. Are you just a leader, or are you a friend?
More Information
Qualities of a Great Leader, Part 3: Two Relational Qualities
I recently read an article by Thom Rainer entitled ‘The One Common Factor of Effective Church Leaders’. He began the article by asking a critical question, “Is it possible to find one common factor in the lives and ministries of the most effective church leaders?” He answered, “I think so” and then went on to say that “The most effective church leaders are being continuously and intentionally mentored… …it is the difference between good leadership and great leadership for most church leaders.” Having made his point with some conviction, Thom Rainer however had to conclude that “mentoring is missing in over 90% of church leaders’ lives today.” After reading the article, I stopped to say a quiet prayer of thanks for my mentor of over 30 years, John Mallison who happened to be one of the great Christian leaders in Australia for the twentieth century. After an amazingly fruitful life that spanned more than eighty years, John went to be with the Lord he loved while he was out on his morning walk...
Japan (MNN) ― In Asia, for every 600,000 people, there is only one trained, competent Christian leader. David Dayalan from 
