The Art of Encouragement

Chapter 8The Art of Elevating Encouragement

One of my favorite forms of encouragement is the art of elevation. There is nothing I love more than shouting someone's praise into the proverbial megaphone. When we elevate someone, we help them get the recognition they deserve, often through making strategic introductions to create new opportunities and endorse them publicly.

As a public speaker, I literally have a stage to stand on and sing people's praises from. But the art of elevating someone—making much of their success, promoting them, spotlighting them, giving them public praise, helping them get recognized—does not require a stage. When you help connect someone and expand their circle, advocating for them and increasing awareness of how awesome they are, you are practicing the art of elevation. It could be as simple as introducing them to someone you think might benefit from their services, or writing a review for a small business owner online, endorsing them on LinkedIn, talking about them in a social media post, or nominating them for an award.

When you elevate people—you give them their most basic, relational need—to be seen, heard, and known. By helping to promote them, you push them out and prop them up. You highlight their God-given talents in front of others, encouraging them to step even further into those gifts and grow in their potential. You encourage them to go further than they thought they could.

God works through people. He uses us to help others, to encourage ...