…Rezon, the son of Eliadah... And he gathered men unto him, and became captain over a band…
1 Kings 11:23,24
This man Rezon became a leader in his time. The Bible tells us that he gathered people unto himself. Every true leader is able to rally a team of people around himself. Jesus gathered a team of twelve people around himself. He lived with them and fellowshipped with them for three and a half years. Decide to be a gathering point for people. Whatever is offensive in your personality and whatever scatters people must be dealt with if you take leadership seriously. Learn how to speak without offending and scattering people.
Twenty-two Steps to Rally People around You
1. Make people feel that you really want them around you.
2. Appreciate the people around you;
Rejoice with the people around you over their little successes and breakthroughs. Their joy will increase when they feel there is another person rejoicing with them.
3. Genuinely admire people’s cars, houses, furniture and clothes;
Cars, houses and clothes represent people’s choices and achievements. If you admire and respect people’s choices and achievements, you are admiring them personally! They will naturally warm up to you!
4. Show people that you respect them, no matter who they are or what they have;
People will warm up to you once they know you respect them. In this world, many people are not respected. Generally speaking, black people are often not respected by white people. In my opinion, Europeans and Americans do not respect Africans. Some tribes are also despised and hated. People are looking for someone who genuinely respects them in spite of where they come from, who they are or how much money they have. Anyone who has this ability to respect people, no matter who they are, will have people rallying around him.
5. Be conscious of people who have inferiority complexes and treat them carefully.
6. Never tease someone who does not like being teased;
There are some people who hate being teased. Often this is because of a complex they had from childhood.
7. Call people by their names soon after you have met them;
No one likes to feel that he is a mere number. People will warm up to you when they realize that you know them by name. They will be even more touched if you call them by their pet names.
8. Show interest in people’s personal lives;
Ask about their homes, jobs and schools. People need to feel that the leader has a genuine interest in their lives.
9. Show an interest in people’s aspirations, visions and goals;
When you are only interested in your vision and goal, people will silently withdraw from you. When they sense that you have an interest in making them successful they will rally around you.
10. Offer food and drinks to visitors whenever you can;
When I was in the university I visited many people on campus. I always remember a particular lady called Adelaide Baiden. Whenever we would go to her room she would offer us something to eat. Many times she and her roommate shared their supper with us. This made her room a natural rallying point! If you want to be a natural rallying point, learn to offer food and drinks to visitors anytime you can!
11. Listen to people’s problems;
Learn the art of listening rather than talking. When you allow people to talk about themselves they psychologically feel that they are closer to you. This makes them rally around you.
12. Let the conversation center around others and what they are doing rather than yourself and what you are;
It is vain to have self-centered conversations. If your conversations are all about yourself, your achievements, your vision, people will soon be tired of listening to you and move away.
13. Be an encourager;
Always notice when somebody has made an effort to achieve something. Perhaps they sang a song or did a new hairstyle. Even if you didn’t like it, appreciate the effort that was made. There is no need to say that you didn’t like what they did. All you need to do is to notice the effort and appreciate it.
14. Say thank you for everything;
It is better for people to think that you are saying thank you too often than for them to feel that you are ungrateful.
15. Smile;
People gravitate around smiling and friendly people. We know that we are not perfect and so we do not need a stern, frowning person to remind us of our failings. People need someone to encourage them that in spite of their failings, they are accepted.
16. Do not be partial;
One of the first things that people notice about leaders is when they are partial. The Bible says in the Book of James , Chapter 3 and verse 17, that it is not wise to be partial:
But the wisdom that is from above is… without partiality...
Even little children notice when their parents are partial toward one child. No one wants to follow someone who is biased and partisan without cause. What about if you fall into his bad books without knowing it? It is difficult to live in a country where the head of state begins to dislike you because of unsubstantiated tales. It is difficult to work in an organization where the boss can begin to dislike you based on a new feeling he has.
17. Whenever there is an opportunity, give a gift;
A gift makes room for a man.
“A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men”
Proverbs 18:16
This means that space is created within the person’s heart for you. You will be accepted and the person will rally around you.
18. Mourn with people who are mourning;
Times of sorrow are some of the most remembered times in people’s lives. If you remember them during that period they will never forget you. I have had people joining my church simply because I was by their side when their parents died.
19. Go the extra mile to help someone;
Whenever you help someone in need he remembers you. People see when you make the extra effort and it touches their hearts. When you ask them to rally around you for a cause, they will be there because they remember how you helped them. I assure you of this one thing: if you do not sow a seed of help in someone’s life, no one will help you in the future.
20. Be friendly, greet people in a pleasant way;
Be easygoing, be sociable: shake hands, hug people, give a pat on the back, be affable and pleasant. Warmth is attractive. A cold and crisp person is not a natural rallying point.
21. Be concerned when listening to people’s problems;
When listening to people’s problems, your facial expression must show deep concern and interest. Try to pick up the details and show that you are following the story.
22. Notice when people are absent;
People are offended when they find out that you did not even notice when they were away. How can they be important to you if you do not even notice their absence?
These twenty-two steps will make you a natural rallying point and a natural leader.
