Electronic communication has taken the front seat on nearly every level. Coupled with “going green” to save trees and all other ecologically connected minutia, the very idea of sending or receiving something in hard copy is almost obsolete.

There is no chance of slowing down the changes or technological process of the twenty-first century, and I do not even want to try.

From a leadership perspective, there are advantages and disadvantages to the electronic connections we seem so bound to in the present. While I do not intend to explore the depths of both, there is something that stands out regarding the spiritual relationships eternally connected to leadership.

We need each other! The human race was created in relationship, a relationship involving God and each other. Jesus grew in favor with God and man.

We can stay connected in relationships through an electronic medium. However, if we are going to lead, the need for relationship must go beyond the words on a screen.

The power of a smile, a hug, or the sound of words spoken in kindness can make all the difference. Let us lead in “hard copy.”