15 | Leading Someone Who Leans More Missional

Welcome back.

Here's a leadership mistake that kills motivation: You have a mission-driven person on your team, and you spend all your time trying to connect with them relationally - asking about their weekend, their family, how they're feeling about everything.

Meanwhile, they're sitting there thinking, "Can we get moving? Where are we going? What's my role? How can I get better?"

Today I want to show you how to unlock the incredible drive of mission-focused people on your team. Because here's what I've learned: when mission people feel inspired by clear vision and purpose, they'll go above and beyond in ways that will surprise you and your relationship with them will become one that can last for ages.

FINDING YOUR MISSIONAL PEOPLE

Let me help you identify who on your team leans more missional.

Mission-driven people wake up wanting clarity, purpose, and progress. They're motivated by vision first, relationship second. You'll notice they:

• Jump straight into work topics in conversations

• Ask questions like "What's the goal?" and "How are we measuring success?"

• Prefer independence over constant check-ins

• Get energized by challenges and stretch goals

• Sometimes seem impatient with too much social time

• I’m laughing because this is so me

Here's the key insight: These aren't antisocial tendencies - they're efficiency superpowers.

When mission people feel clear about where you're going and how they contribute, they become unstoppable. But if you only try to connect through relationship without giving them vision, they start to feel like you're wasting their time.

THE INSPIRATION FORMULA

Here's the formula for leading missional people: Vision first, then relationship.

Think of it this way - relationship people are like co-pilots who want to journey with you. Mission people are like rockets - point them toward a clear target with sufficient fuel, and they'll blast off independently and hit the mark.

This isn't coldness - it's their strength. They want to contribute to something meaningful, and they want the freedom to do it excellently.

Let me give you some practical examples of what this looks like:

In 1-on-1 meetings: Start with mission connection. "Here's what I'm seeing down the road. Here's how your work is contributing to the bigger picture. What are your thoughts on our strategy?" My first boss right out of college knew this about me. And every single 1-1 we had - he would always start with vision. And it connected with me right away. It looped me in, I was totally engaged. Around the same time i was promoted to a new leadership role and had a new boss. he was a great boss, very intentional, he made time for weekly 1-1s with me, but he didn’t understand this camaraderie matrix. so he would never ever connect with me over vision or mission. he never challenged me. he only ever asked me how i was doing, what i needed, and granted he was an amazing leader. absolutely amazing. we’re still connected to this day. i did crave a bit more of that connection around the mission and what we were going for. i craved that true feeling of camarderie.

When assigning projects: Instead of "Let's work through this together step by step," try "Here's the vision. Here's the impact we're trying to make. Here are the parameters. I trust you to figure out the best way to get there."

During challenging seasons: Don't just ask how they're feeling. Say something like, "This is hard, but here's why it matters. If we push through this, here's the impact we'll make. I believe you can do this."

PRACTICAL STRATEGIES

Here are five specific strategies for leading mission-driven people:

First: Give them vision regularly. Mission people need to see the bigger picture constantly. In every interaction, connect their current task to the larger goal. Share what you're reading, what you're learning, where you see the organization going.

Second: Trust them with independence. While relationship people want to work alongside you, mission people want to be pointed in a direction and trusted to run. Give them clear outcomes, not step-by-step processes.

Third: Challenge them strategically. Mission people are motivated by stretch goals and difficult problems. Don't protect them from hard things - invite them into the hardest, most important work you have.

Fourth: Include them in strategic thinking. Mission people feel honored when you invite them into how you're thinking about the future. Ask for their input on strategy, share your concerns about direction, let them help solve big-picture problems.

Fifth: Measure and celebrate progress. Mission people want to know how they're doing and how the mission is advancing. Give them clear metrics, regular updates on impact, and acknowledgment when goals are achieved.

WHAT TO EXPECT

Here's what happens when you lead mission people this way:

They become your most innovative problem-solvers. When mission people feel clear about the target, they'll find creative ways to hit it that you never would have thought of.

They become multipliers of the mission. Mission people naturally think about scale and impact. They'll build systems and processes that advance the vision beyond what any individual could accomplish.

They become your strategic partners. When mission people feel trusted with the big picture, they'll start thinking like owners, not just employees.

And here's the beautiful part - when they feel that sense of purpose and contribution, they'll naturally become more relational with the team. They'll invest in relationships because they see how connection serves the mission.

HE COMMON MISTAKES

Let me warn you about three common mistakes:

Mistake #1: Micromanaging their process. Mission people don't need you to tell them how to do the work - they need you to be crystal clear about what success looks like.

Mistake #2: Assuming they don't need relationship. Mission people absolutely need connection - they just prefer it to happen around shared purpose rather than pure social interaction.

Mistake #3: Giving them fuzzy goals. Nothing demotivates a mission person faster than unclear objectives. They want to know exactly where the target is so they can hit it.

THE PERSONAL CONNECTION SHIFT

Here's how mission people build relationships differently: They connect through shared challenges, strategic conversations, and mutual respect for competence.

So when you do invest in relationship with mission people:

• Connect over books you're both reading

• Discuss industry trends and future possibilities

• Share challenges you're facing and ask for their perspective

• Acknowledge their expertise and contributions publicly

• Work out together or grab coffee, but let the conversation naturally drift toward vision and strategy

They're not avoiding personal connection - they're just building it through mission-focused interaction.

Your Next Step

Your next step. Think about your team right now. Who are the mission-driven people? You know who they are - they're the ones who light up when you talk about vision and strategy.

Pick one person. This week, I want you to try one specific thing: Start your next interaction with them by sharing vision. Tell them what you see down the road, how their work contributes to the bigger picture, or ask for their thoughts on strategy.

Ask yourself: What challenging, meaningful work can I entrust to them this week? How can I include them in strategic thinking?

Remember, when mission people feel clear about purpose and trusted with important work, they don't just complete tasks - they become owners of the outcome. They'll give you their best because they believe in where you're going together.

The goal isn't to manage mission people - it's to unleash their incredible drive by giving them clear targets and the freedom to hit them.