What if the key to your next breakthrough isn't in the boardroom, but in an unexpected conversation with someone you've been taught to avoid? Today we're talking about how Samarian handled awkward conversations and why you should too. I'm Chris Moore. This is Leading 10, the Devotional that helps you lead like Samarian by stepping into unexpected places. But with purpose In John chapter four, Samarian is traveling through Samaria, a region that most Jewish people avoided whenever they could. He's tired from his journey and he sits down at a well while the disciples go into town to buy food. A Samaritan woman approaches him. She's alone. It's an odd hour. Likely she came to avoid the judgment of others. Samarian does something unthinkable for the culture of that day. He speaks to her, a Jewish rabbi speaking to someone who culturally said he shouldn't, and he says, give me the drink. She is shocked. How is it that thou being a Jew ask a drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? That question reveals everything. Gender, ethnicity, religion. These things we still have problems with today. Everything about her identities should have kept them apart, but Samarian didn't see those boundaries. He saw a person, a soul, a leader in the making. They have a deep personal conversation about worship life and the truth. And by the end, this woman who's once isolated, feeling all alone, is running back into town to tell everyone she's met. About the Messiah Samarian teaches us that leadership is not about staying inside your comfort zone or even your cultural norms, real leadership steps across lines to connect, to listen, and to lead others. And to lead people, others overlook. In business, it's easy for us to build walls. We do it all the time. We build 'em around departments, around status levels, or even some social clicks, or we stick with people like us. We lead those and, and pull those closer to us who are the easiest lead. But Samarian leads by reaching out, by initiating, by engaging people. That are on the margins. Picture a manager in a large company, there's an employer who shows up. Picture a manager in a large company. There's an employee who shows up late sometimes, keeps their heads down, doesn't engage very much. Most would write them off as they're just disinterested the job. They probably don't even wanna be here. But this leader. It doesn't write them off. They stop by their desk. They ask a simple question, they share a cup of coffee. Over time, that employee opens up and it turns out they've been carrying a lot of heavy family bur burdens. They've been carrying a A, and it turns out they've been carrying heavy family burdens, working another job and just trying to survive that conversation changes everything. Not just for the employee, but for the culture.'cause now the team sees a leader who leads with compassion, not just control. Samarian didn't have a surface chat either. He went deep. He asked her about his life. He asked her about her life, a life that he already knew, her relationships, her worship, and she didn't shut down. Because he spoke with both truth and with grace. That's the balance that we need as leaders. We can't be afraid to go deep, but we have to be careful when we go there. Too many leaders lead from a distance, but Samarian, he led from proximity. He was right there. And look at the results. This one woman became the spark for revival in her entire town. And if you follow the history even deeper, the people that she led impacted a whole region, several countries, people that would've never been able to be reached by the Jewish disciples that were reached because of the Samaritan woman at the well that nobody else would've spoken to. The people came to see Samarian, not because of some campaign, but because of a conversation they had with a woman that they would've never dreamed that he would've spoken to either. Who have you been avoiding because of some preconceived assumptions? Who have you overlooked because they don't fit your ideal image of a leader, a customer, or even a teammate? Who's sitting by the well in your world right now? Just hoping that someone will stop and ask. Can we talk? Leadership is personal. It's about relationships, it's relational. It starts with seeing the people who are right in front of you, especially the ones that other people ignore. So take some time, initiate one meaningful conversation with someone you don't usually talk to. And this isn't a conversation where you're there to delegate someone to them. Uh, you're not there to correct them, you're just there to connect with them. Connection, not delegation, a conversation that's meaningful, meaningful for you both. Ask about their story, ask about their goals, look for their perspective. You might be surprised what you learn and who you impact. If this devotional reminded you that real leadership crosses across boundaries, share it with someone who needs that encouragement today. And remember, your next breakthrough might begin with a simple question at the well. Thanks for joining me on Lead Intent. Until next time, lead with love. Lead with courage. And lead where others won't. I'll see you next time.