Barnabas - An Encouraging Leader - Problems And Solutions

Barnabas - An Encouraging Leader - Problems and Solutions

The encouraging leader needs a stable organization with which he can do his best in keeping people harmoniously relating to one another. He fears any feelings of disunity in his congregation since it might indicate conflict. which he shies away from. For this reason the encourager wants everyone to feel like an important member of an enlarged family. He runs his institutions like a loving father or nurturing mother would care for one’s family. He is extremely sympathetic to the hurts of his people since he shares their suffering vicariously. Whenever he preaches, he is sure to include a large measure of the need for unity, harmony, and the ability to forgive one another as Christ has forgiven us. (Eph. 4:28-32)

He prefers to work in secure organization that have established a track record of stability, success, and solid traditions.

An encouraging leader is not one to take risks since this might mean arguments which he avoids at all costs. Since he wants everybody to like him, the encouraging leader will practice compromise to head off conflicts before they become crisis. Sometimes, he subconsciously tries to avoid preaching the whole counsel of God because he is afraid of offending certain members of his church. It is occasionally said that the encouraging leader is willing to gain peace at any price. "Fellowship is the key word to this leader’s style. He loves to have meetings so that everyone is able to air their views in a peaceful atmosphere. He is not so concerned about production, accomplishment of goals, or the performance of essential duties as long as people are in good relationships. It is said that the encouraging leader loves visiting with people so much that he often has little time to settle down and do his own work. The encourager’s style of teaching, preaching, and presenting of ideas is inspirational more than informational. Some people become frustrated with his "feel good" style of leadership because they want the organization to evidence progress.

The encourager leader is content to let some members be extremely active with their ministries while allowing others to just attend church services. Not wanting to offend anyone, the encourager has a lot of tolerances for different approaches to projects. As a result, he is particularly concerned about helping those who cannot help themselves. He is willing to do whatever makes for good relations.

Acquiescent at times, the encourager may sometimes act like a defeatist when it comes to difficult projects. At the heart of the encourager’s motives is not to cause anyone any offense. He does not want to be a stumbling block to the smooth flowing of operations. The encourager feels that once the policies have been decided, it is his job to help people stay on track of the set agenda. His leadership theme is unity with a toleration for diversity. Traditional in his approaches to most problems, the encourager usually tries to look to the past to discover the previous tactics. As a result, the encourager is particularly conservative since he does not want to make too many waves.

True to the dogmatics of the faith, the encourager feels the need to stick with the established policies and beliefs. It is for this reason, that the encourager must be given a manual, a policy book, or a constitution to operate from as his basis of authority. This gives the encourager a solid foundation from which he make his decisions. It also affords the encourager an easy way out of conflicts by referring to the set policies. He does not like to hassled with arguments. He loves to refer to the "official position" of the organization rather than taking an innovative interpretation and application in developing new wine in new wineskins. If you are looking for change, progress, and innovation, the encourager is seldom able to initiate this without several strong attachments to a directive or a facilitative superior. Many people find that the encourager tends to take a resigned approach to situations being content with the status quo. Encouragers often feel helpless to expand their understanding of a situation if those around him are sharply in favor of maintaining a certain position.

He desperately needs the support of friends to succeed as he is very much in need of people’s encouragement.

Since the encourager fears public disapproval, he tends to lead by various degrees of consensus while being very submissive to his authorities.

He is the most consistent in his leadership style since he never wants to be known to inconsistent in his treatment of people. There is a deep emotional need in the encouraging leader since he never wants to stick out from the norm. Therefore, there may tend to be an overemphasis on the way that his predecessors acted. Continually one may hear the encourager referring to the way that his predecessors acted as a basis for his own actions. The encourager is a faithful man under authority who delights in pleasing those he reports to.