I'm a supervisor and I have authority to just tell people what to do. Paul chose a different way with Philemon - he could have commanded that Philemon welcome Onesimus back, but instead he appealed.
That's made me think about my own leadership. Authority is efficient, but appeal creates relationship. When I issue a command, I'm using my power. When I appeal, I'm inviting someone into something together.
I've been trying to lead more by appeal - explaining the why, trusting people to make good choices, giving them real agency. It's slower and it requires more vulnerability, but the people who work for me are better off. And the work is better.
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