(adapted from my original blog for Loop Community.)

We are living in a moment unlike any other. Information has never been more accessible. With AI, Google, YouTube, and endless leadership podcasts, you can learn almost anything in seconds. 

But here’s the truth:
Information is no longer what sets leaders apart. In fact, the abundance of information is actually leading to less trust. 

The leaders who will shape the future — in the Church, in worship, in business, everywhere — are those who know how to lead relationally, not informationally.

I’ve served on staff at multiple churches and now at Alive Church, while also coaching worship leaders and pastors across the country. I’ve led teams at every level, traveled the world with my band, and watched worship ministries grow, shrink, heal, and rebuild.

Through all of it, one theme keeps rising to the surface for me. And I'd say this one thing is the defines the healthy most successful leaders of our generation:

Relational leadership is the future of leadership.

Not because information doesn’t matter — but because everyone already has it.
What people don’t have is wisdom.
What they don’t have is connection.
What they don’t have is leaders who know them, see them, and walk with them.

So here are the 10 relational leadership principles that, for the past 20+ years, have continued to shape my life, ministry, and coaching — and that I believe will define healthy leadership in the next decade and beyond.

1. Keep the Vision in Front

In a world full of noise, clarity is king.
Your team doesn’t need more information — they need a clear picture of who you are collectively, where you're going, and why it matters.

When you consistently bring the vision to the front, people feel anchored.
When you don’t, drift becomes inevitable.

Clarity is relational, because clarity is kindness.

2. Keep People First

No one wants to feel like a cog in a ministry machine.
If people think you care about them only because they play an instrument, fill a role, or solve a problem, you’ve already lost them.

When people feel known, they feel safe.
When they feel safe, they grow.
And when they grow, your ministry grows with them.

Remember: people aren’t a means to ministry. People are ministry.

3. Make Other People’s Purpose Part of Your Purpose

Leaders who only care about their own goals burn out people.
Leaders who help others discover their purpose build teams.

Healthy ministries multiply calling, not just tasks.

If you want people to stay, to thrive, and to pour out their best — invest in their purpose, not just your program.

4. Leaders Are Only as Good as Their Team

Relational leaders understand something informational leaders forget:

No one succeeds alone.

The myth of the solo superstar leader is dead.
Even the greatest athletes, musicians, and pastors succeed because a team surrounds them.

When leaders acknowledge the team behind them — and build them intentionally — everyone rises.

5. Receive Criticism and Deflect Praise

Healthy leaders can hold two tensions:

• “If it misses, it’s on me.”

• “If it succeeds, it’s on us.”

Criticism? Absorb it.
Praise? Share it.

This doesn’t make you falsely humble — it makes you secure.
And secure leaders create secure teams.

I remember in 2014, Kevin Durant’s MVP speech changed me as a leader. He spent 27 minutes deflecting praise onto everyone else. True leadership sounds like that.

6. It’s Better to Discuss Than to Discover

I remember when one of my best friends, a touring worship drummer, said this to me after a frustrating season of ministry. And it stuck with me. Unspoken expectations always lead to disappointment.

Clear communication up front is not informational — it’s relational.
It creates trust.
It protects hearts.
It prevents resentment.

In leadership, clarity isn't optional. It's unconditional love in practical form.

7. Be Open-Minded

You don’t need a team full of versions of yourself.
In fact, that might be the worst-case scenario.

Relational leaders are curious.
They invite perspectives.
They embrace differences.
They grow through conversation, not control.

If you resist diversity of opinions, you reject development.

8. Be Patient

Information makes you feel like decisions should be made instantly.
Relational leadership reminds you:

People take time.
Healing takes time.
Culture takes time.

Quick decisions may relieve tension for you in a moment, but wise decisions lead to transformation in the long run.

Patience is not passive. Think of it as strategic love.

9. Be Present

For me, it's very easy to lead my team, or even show up for my family, already thinking about the next event, the next Sunday, the next season.
But relational leadership requires presence.

People don’t need the future version of you.
They need the right now version of you.

God is shaping you today. He put you right where you are right now, right now.
He's shaping your team today. And you as a leader today.
And the Kingdom is just as present in the ordinary moments as in the big ones.

10. Keep It Simple

Leadership gets complicated when we overthink it.

At its core:

• Know who God called you to be.

• Love people well.

• Keep the vision clear.

• Stay faithful in the small things.

Simple doesn’t mean shallow.
Simple means sustainable.

And sustainable leadership is the kind that lasts.

THE HEART OF IT ALL

The future of leadership won’t belong to the most informed.
It will belong to the most relational.
The ones who see people.
The ones who build trust.
The ones who develop others.
The ones who lead with presence, humility, and clarity.

This is the leadership Jesus modeled.
This is the leadership our churches need.
This is the leadership the next generation will follow.

If you’re a worship leader or pastor who wants to build a healthier, more connected worship culture, I’d love to help. You can find practical resources, coaching opportunities, and free guides for your team at keithelgin.com.

The future of leadership is relational — and you don’t have to build it alone.