Tim and Linda Seidler are the pastors of The Experience Church in the Bridgeport, OH/Wheeling, WV area. They are amazing leaders who I have written about previously in the article Does God Still Part Red Seas? Absolutely! The Story of The Experience Church in Bridgeport, OH.
Today I had the privilege of investing in their leaders during their regular scheduled staff meeting. Pastor Tim asked me to speak on how his staff can best encourage and motivate their individual teams during these COVID-19 times.
The text I chose was from Nehemiah 4 which reads, “In Judah it was said, ‘The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. There is too much rubble. By ourselves we will not be able to rebuild the wall.’” There is currently economic, spiritual, racial, political, and medical rubble everywhere you look. Pastors are expected to minister in this environment. As a result, we tend to feel we can’t rebuild our proverbial walls either.
But what did Nehemiah do next after acknowledging the rubble? How did he move forward as a leader? The answers make up the 15 Steps Leaders Can Take To Motivate Their People During COVID-19 I gleaned from the text. All verses are from Nehemiah 4.
- To Motivate Your People You Must First Be Motivated – 9 “And we prayed to our God”. You cannot take people where you have not been yourself.
- To Motivate Your People Give Them A Sense Of Community. Surround You And Your Team With People You/They Love And Trust – “So in the lowest parts of the space behind the wall, in open places, I stationed the people by their clans” – v. 13
- To Motivate Your People Give Them The Right Tools And Resources – “with their swords, their spears, and their bows.” – v.13
- To Motivate Your People Make Them Insiders. Rally Your Leaders First – “And I looked and arose & said to the nobles and to the officials and to the rest of the people” – v.14. You can’t leapfrog leaders. Invest in them so they can multiply your message.
- To Motivate Your People Relax. Have Faith. – “Do not be afraid of them.” – v.14
- To Motivate Your People Remember What God Has Done For You In The Past – “Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome” – v.14. Your memory is your greatest weapon as a Christian.
- To Motivate Your People Engage The Battle – “and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your homes.” – v.14.
- To Motivate Your People Get Back To Work – “we all returned to the wall, each to his work.” – v.15. Leadership determines direction. Organization determines potential. People with God’s help determine success.
- To Motivate Your People Assign Them To Their Area Of Expertise – “From that day on, half of my servants worked on construction, and half held the spears, shields, bows, and coats of mail.” – v. 16
- To Motivate Your People Support Those Who Are Working Hard – “And the leaders stood behind the whole house of Judah who were building on the wall.” – v. 16-17. You should be your team’s greatest cheerleader.
- To Motivate Your People You Must Carry A Heavier Load – “Those who carried burdens were loaded in such a way that each labored on the work with one hand and held his weapon with the other. And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built.” – v.17-18. There are perks to leadership and a price to leadership. Carrying a heavier load is one of the prices.
- To Motivate Your People Rally Them Together Often –“The work is great and widely spread, and we are separated on the wall, far from one another. In the place where you hear the sound of the trumpet, rally to us there.” – v. 19-20.
- To Motivate Your People Remind Them To Trust God And Allow Him To Help You – “Our God will fight for us.”- v.20
- To Motivate Your People Set Proper Expectations. A Great Work Requires Great Time And Effort. – “So we labored at the work, and half of them held the spears from the break of dawn until the stars came out.I also said to the people at that time, ‘Let every man and his servant pass the night within Jerusalem, that they may be a guard for us by night and may labor by day.’” – v. 21-22
- To Motivate Your People Remind Them Great Works For God Are Only Done By Great Teams – “So neither I nor my brothers nor my servants nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us took off our clothes; each kept his weapon at his right hand.” – v.23
What is one thing you learned from this list which will better help you motivate your team during these uncertain times?
My book Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices Of Apex Leaders is available for purchase. If you have ever wanted to become the leader God created you to be, this book is for you! By combining leadership lessons from biblical heroes like Jesus, Daniel and Joseph, along with modern day leaders like Bill Gates, Nick Saban, Kobe Bryant and multiple pastors, Timeless will equip and inspire you. This book is not to be read alone. Discussion questions are included in each chapter allowing you to develop those in your circle of influence. Click HERE or on the image provided and order your copies TODAY.