Leadership : Connect Before Calling by John C Maxwell
6 Jul 2007
Connect Before Calling
When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” . . . And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men.” So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him. Luke 5:4, 10-11
Connection is absolutely critical if you want to influence people in a positive way. When I think of connecting with people, I compare it to trains and what happens to them in a train yard. The cars sitting on the tracks have great value because they’re loaded with cargo; they have a destination; and they even have a route to follow. But they don’t have a way of getting anywhere on their own. They have to hook up with a locomotive.
Have you ever watched how a bunch of pieces form a working train? It all begins with the locomotive. It switches itself to the same track as the car it’s going to pick up. Then it backs up to the car, makes contact, and connects. Then it repeats the process until the cars are all hooked up, and together they start moving toward their destination.
A similar thing must happen before you are able to get people to go with you on any kind of journey. You have to find out where they are, move toward them to make contact, and connect with them. If you can do that successfully, you can take them to new heights in your relationship and in their development.
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