As I have been thinking through my personal leadership journey lately and trying to figure out who God has called me to be and what He’s called me to do…I have narrowed my focus down to seven areas that I believe are essential for effective leadership in the church.
#1 - Passion
I’m not talking about false excitement over an event that you would not attend if you were not on the payroll at the church!
But rather raw, unfiltered, emotional and unapologetic passion…a white hot fire inside that consumes, controls and configures us into who Jesus has called us to be and what He’s called us to do!
Be warned—passionate people make for easy targets because no one has to guess what they stand for! However, passion, if handled correctly, can be one of the best friends a leader can have.
#2 - A Desire To Please God
One of the first verses I ever memorized was Galatians 1:10. I remember reading it and feeling like it literally jumped off the page…and something inside of me kept screaming, “You are going to need this verse for yourself if you are going to be truly successful in ministry.”
A true leader in church would understands that God is our Leader…and in a passionate pursuit to please Him you and I will often disappoint people.
We can’t please committee’s and Christ—a choice must be made.
#3 - Wisdom
James 1:5 has been a verse that I have also had to cling onto as a leader! What a promise!
God has called us to wisdom…so…as leaders I feel that we need to be doing as much as possible to learn…that means going to conferences, reading books…and not being afraid to meet with and learn from people who “aren’t like us!”
What are you personally doing right now to grow and develop yourself as a leader? To add to your wisdom?
I am in the process of connecting with other church leaders…in the past several weeks I’ve been involved in numerous learning environments with people who know SO MUCH MORE than me…and God has used each experience to shape me in an awesome way.
If all we tell our people is what we know…and we lead out of our limited knowledge, never seeking wisdom from others or God—then we will raise up some very shallow people.
#4 - Courage
I don’t think the tag “leader” should be put on anyone who hasn’t had to make tough decisions on a consistent basis.
I once heard Andy Stanley say that a leader isn’t necessarily the first person to see an opportunity, but rather the first person to act on what they see.
So true! There are lots and lots of people who see what is wrong with the world, church, etc…however, very few are actually willing to do anything about it.
Leaders step up and make the hard calls…even when it’s unpopular.
On a side note—courage is NOT the absence of fear! There have been so many situations in my leadership journey here at NewSpring that have just about caused me to pee my pants!
However, courage is KNOWING what God has called you to…and then DOING it…not knowing the outcome…but KNOWING who is in control of the outcome!