As true influence flows from the Design Phase, the Development Phase harnesses the power of influence leading to maximum impact…
In the Development Phase the leader plays the role of relationship builder. It is here that the lines between positional authority and true leadership begin to blur, and the leader begins to build authentic relationships with those that have been placed under his care. Relationship building is necessary if a leader is going to have maximum impact on his environment. The Development Phase is where the vision and values become an integral part of the organization, because they flow from relationships built on trust and grace. “When the culture of an organization honors the achievement of a goal over the health of its people, leaders and followers will learn to hide their hearts in an attempt to reach that goal, even at the expense of their vision” (Thrall, McNicol, and McElrath 1999, 50). The relationship builder desires to develop people first and organization second. If you develop people you will have their heart which leads to a great organization. “Effective leaders make room for people. Leaving them out is a big, big leadership mistake…People will only be influenced and changed as we allow them into our personal lives” (Finzel 2000, 49). Leaders that skip the Development Phase and refuse the task of the relationship builder will tend towards isolation, authoritarianism, and will render an organization emotionally drained and apathetic. Great leaders build great relationships.
Great leaders who build great relationships generate maximum impact on an organization. Impact is the desired outcome of the development phase. This removes the emphasis off of personal gain and organizational goals and puts the emphasis on those who make up the organization. This phase is a two way street. If the leader is a relationship builder he not only unleashes the strengths of others, but also gains an understanding of who needs to “get off the bus.” Jim Collins states, “You get the best people, you build them into the best managers in the industry, and you fully accept the fact that some of them will be recruited to become CEO’s of other companies” (Collins 2001, 48). One way to measure maximum impact is when people under ones leadership begin to exhibit the same qualities that have been built into them. The relationship builder takes pride when a co-worker takes on new leadership roles or advances in their career. If no one in an organization is developing their leadership skills and expanding their horizons of leadership, the Development Phase is being ignored and maximum impact is not being achieved. 3-D Leadership requires an “I am third,” mentality. God first, others second, and I am third. This allows the ego of the leader to dissolve and character takes it rightful place in the organization. When this happens, the vision of the leader has a powerful pull as people begin to believe he has their best interest in mind and the core values of the organization flow from these mutual relationships.
“Leadership is a reciprocal process between those who aspire to lead and those who choose to follow. Any discussion of leadership must attend to the dynamics of this relationship. Strategies, tactics, skills, and practices are empty without an understanding of the fundamental human aspirations that connect leaders and constituents…leadership is a relationship and that the relationship is one of service to a purpose and to people” (Kouzes and Posner 2002, 23,27).
When a leader chooses to build relationships in the Development Phase, maximum impact occurs within the organization. One can apply this principle in every leadership situation and it will work. The fact is, if relationships are not built in the home, a family will not thrive regardless of annual income. The same applies for a church, if relationships are not the key focus, the church will not thrive and maximum impact will not be achieved. Maximum impact is only achieved when the leader embraces the Development Phase and becomes a relationship builder.
