There is a difference between a contract and a covenant. A contract basically says, “I will do this if you do that.” A covenant says “I am going to do this no matter what you do.”
Ask yourself, “Do I lead with a contractual mindset or a covenant mindset?” There are four benefits to all of us who lead if we exercise Covenant Leadership - whether we are leading a company, a team, or a family.
Covenant Leadership
Example: The Covenant of Marriage
“for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do we part:” is a covenant statement. Notice that nowhere does it say, “as long as you do the same or equal my contributions.”
When I get myself in trouble is when I begin to treat my marriage as a contract instead of a covenant. That occurs when I start keeping score or start expecting my wife to keep up with my present contributions to our relationship.
Whether I am a husband or a wife, I am entering a covenant relationship that says, “I am going to do this no matter what you do.” I realize this is a very traditional view of marriage, but if more people held marriage as a covenant instead of a contract, maybe there would be fewer families in trouble.
Read a blog related to leading families by clicking on the following title: Determining Your Family Values
Four Benefits of Covenant Leadership
1. Clarity
If I am a Covenant Leader, I have clarity because I know what I stand for - my values. When I know what I stand for, the fog created by circumstances, crises, and/or other people does not obscure my vision.
If I know what I stand for, my decisions become clear even in the midst of uncertainty. While others struggle to see a path forward, the values that guide me steer me through the fog and provide the clarity others yearn for.
2. Control
If I am a Covenant Leader, I am in control. Because I operate from a covenant mindset that says, “I am going to do this no matter what you do.”, my decisions and choices do not depend on the actions of others.
I am in control of my decisions because what I do is independent of what others do. If I am dependent on the actions of others, I give up that control and will often feel like the proverbial cork in the ocean. I am tossed around by the waves, and rarely reach my desired destination. I am stuck reacting to others instead of leading.
3. Consistency
If I am a Covenant Leader, my decisions are consistent no matter the circumstances or the crises I am confronted with. Because I know what I stand for, I use my values to make choices that are determined by a set criteria - my values.
When I am consistent in how I make decisions, others see me as dependable and trustworthy. If my decisions matrix is not based on a solid set of values, no one knows what I will do, and they will not trust me.
4. Contentment
If I am a Covenant Leader, my satisfaction with my leadership is independent of others. I can lay my head on my pillow at night knowing I made my choices based on what I truly believed was the right thing to do.
My view of right and wrong does not change based on what is practical at the moment. I am content in knowing I made a decision based on a set of core values that I will always be able to defend, no matter the outcome.
Read another blog related to this topic in business by clicking on the following title: Values - What Do You Stand For?
The Bottom Line:
Whether I am leading a company, a team, or a family, Covenant Leadership creates benefits for both me and the people I am called to lead. The clarity, control, consistency, and contentment Covenant Leadership provides will not be accomplished with a contractual mindset.
Covenant Leadership requires me to know what I stand for and then to stand up for those values. Covenant Leadership is not easy. But, I believe that the leaders who treat leadership or marriage as a covenant will reap the benefits that others are missing.
Check out The Overwhelmed Manager’s Guide for videos and downloads by clicking this link: om-guide.com
Question:
Do you live and/or lead with a covenant or contractual mindset?
Dave,
This is a refreshing reminder about how to achieve the goals we set in life, both business and personal. When you’re operating in a covenant mindset you embrace your truths.
Thanks for that perspective.
It is something that I need reminded of frequently, as well.
Thanks for your efforts Dave. This is a great article…you are right, Covenant Leadership is not easy, and I think it requires a measure of maturity and selflessness.