Leadership is tough business. I have always been interested in it, though. I was the bossy kid who would try to take charge if no one else was willing. I have tried to lead lots of people and things in my life. I have tried to lead while in the military, tried to lead toddlers in children's church, teens in a youth groups and adults in church. I have led in small groups, advertising, launching a church, working with a staff. I have led in my house and tried to lead at times in my family. I have had the opportunity to lead a lot of different places.
The modern day approach to leadership is not necessarily the healthiest form of leadership. Many times it is either totally authoritarian-based (because I said so) or it is comepltely based on making as many people happy as possible. Neither one of these approaches is healthy to use on a regualr basis. The person who leads out of authority is a weak leader. They are not leading out of skill, but out of right. I would venture to say very few people have the "right" to lead, and usually the people who never demand that right are the best leaders. On the other side, the person who only does what everyone agrees with is not a leader. They are a politician who is simply carrying out the public opinion. You have to know what leadership is, if you are a leader and how to lead.
True leadership is leading where the person, group or organization needs to go no matter what without crushing them in the process. That is really hard to do. Sometimes you end up appearing like someone who doesn't care because you do what is right and not what is popular.
The single hardest person I have had to learn how to lead is myself. It is hard to do what is right sometimes because of what it costs you personally. You can strain or lose friendships. You can end up isolated. You may have to pay a higher price to get the right thing accomplished. Other times it is hard to lead because you just want to push through and get the job done. It is way easier to do it yourself than to develop someone else, but it is not better. Good leadership develops as many people under and around you as possible.
I am not a great leader, but I am a growing one. I have learned the value of investing time in bringing other people up instead of just doing it myself. I have learned that what you allow today will impact tomorrow and 10 years from now both in your own life and in your organization. I have learned that most people are slow to accept change and there needs to be a healthy balance between helping them come to a place they can move forward and moving forward when it is time.
I have a learned a lot about leading myself so that I have the credibility to lead others. I have to be willing to see my own sin and shortcomings first. I have to invest the time to do what is right even when no one else will ever know. I have to lead well even when I am tired. I have to live righteously even when I am at the end of my rope. I have to lead with hope or other people will never follow. I have to learn how to discipline without punishing. I have to love the people that disagree with me and remember they most likely are not trying to be cantankerous.
And the number one thing I have learned is I have to be faitfhul no matter what the cost and never let go of love. If I forget to love the people I am leading than I am not a good leader from God's perspective. Love sometimes is tough, but it is never mean.
I hope you will see where God wants you to lead so that you can grow into the man or woman He has called you to be.
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