I have a friend and former boss, Rob Phillips, who has the misfortune of knowing even less Spanish than I do. Because of that, he was easy to dupe — at least on one particular occasion.
We were on a remote backpacking mission trip in Honduras. We had just dropped our gear when our guide asked if someone from our group could preach to the villagers in an hour.
“What did he say?” Rob asked.
“They want you to preach to them in an hour,” I replied.
Without hesitation, Rob dug his Bible out of his backpack and began preparing.
My satisfaction was short-lived when I realized I would have to translate. I had never done that before.
You can discern a lot about a person’s leadership ability by observing how willingly they take on the “dirty” jobs. Rob is a “dirty jobs” kind of guy. I learned that throughout our time together at LifeWay Christian Resources, where he served as our director of communications. I especially saw this quality during that mission trip.
Chris Turner, editor of the Baptist and Reflector, sits with his friend and former boss at LifeWay Christian Resources, Rob Phillips.
God places mentors and leaders in our lives whose influence helps us grow into more than we could have become alone. Rob is one of those people for me.
Today, Rob is the associate executive director for the Missouri Baptist Convention. Last week, he brought a team to the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board offices for a day of meetings. One of his team members asked me what I learned from Rob during our time working together. I didn’t hesitate in my response.
Our LifeWay communications team thrived under Rob’s leadership. We were willing to rally together for whatever Rob needed from us.
But why? What qualities do great leaders possess that influence and shape us? I’ve thought a lot about this. I observed Rob back then and have tried to emulate his leadership style over the years.
There’s certainly more, but here are four key leadership qualities I learned from my friend Rob Phillips.
Humility
Countless leaders (even within denominational life) command influence. Unfortunately, many also exude arrogance. Humility shatters that approach by maintaining a modest view of one’s own importance.
There is strength in humility because true leadership, especially in ministry, begins with a desire to serve others. Christlike leaders are humble. Genuine humility fuels Rob’s service to others.
Character and Integrity
Character and integrity are like rebar strengthening the foundation of leadership. They form a concrete base of honesty and ethical behavior on which leadership is built. We’ve all seen leaders whose foundations crumbled under the weight of their personalities. I’ve known Rob for 22 years, and his foundation continues to grow stronger.
Invest in Your Team
If people are hired to do a job, trust them to do it. If they aren’t meeting expectations, “coach them up” to help them develop needed skills and succeed.
I learned this from watching Rob successfully redeem two employees whose performance had started to slip. After addressing their challenges and working alongside them, they became invaluable team members.
Say Thank You
This one seems obvious, but too often, employees never hear that their work is valued or appreciated. Everyone wants to feel that their contributions matter.
It is a leader’s responsibility to identify those efforts and acknowledge them. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture; a simple “thank you” goes a long way.
This may be the quality that left the biggest impression on me. Rob always said thank you.
Whatever leadership ability I possess has, in no small part, been shaped by Rob, and I’m deeply grateful for that.
How about you? Who is your Rob Phillips? If possible, take the time to tell them how valuable their influence has been in your life.
And don’t forget to say, “Thank you.” B&R
