I read a great article by Brandon Cox about how to invest in people. I also listened to Daniel Harkavy from Building Champions talk about Investing in People. They both had similar things to say. The bottom line is that if you are a leader, if you have influence with other people around you, then you should be investing in people. As a Christ follower we also need to be investing in people to show them the love of Jesus and introduce them to him.
Brandon Cox gave these 8 simple ways to invest in people:
*Schedule three to five informal meetings per week – coffee, lunch, etc. – with people into whom you want to invest.
*Take potential leaders on trips with you. I’ve heard great leaders talk about the mentoring power of never traveling alone. My Worship Pastor calls it “windshield time.”
*If you’re a Pastor, take a partner as you do pastoral care – hospital visits, etc. Just the time in the car on the way is a great opportunity.
*Buy and send books to leaders. I’ve received and given books that have shaped who I am.
*Check in with a phone call. Have a list of potential leaders into whom you’re pouring, and randomly call them once a month or so.
*Convene conversations. Gather leaders who aspire to be involved in the things you’ve spent your life doing and let them connect with each other.
*Listen. Pouring into leaders doesn’t mean doing all the talking. It often means lending an ear in a tough moment.
*Connect leaders to other leaders. It’s powerful when we say, “here’s a friend of mine you need to connect with.”
You can adapt these ideas to your situation, but to invest in people you must be pro-active. You have to take the initiative and put things on your calendar, make the phone call, write the note, schedule the trip, buy the book. You can invest in your children, your spouse, your friends at work or the neighbor next door by doing some of these things.
Lead On