I've been thinking a lot about leadership lately. The good, the bad, and the ugly.
See, here's the thing.....who defines what leadership is, or what it looks like? Everyone leads differently. So who is right? Well, if you ask, or watch some, it means you lead like them, their way. If you don't, "we're going in a different direction", or "we don't see a future for you here", you are told. That's not leadership. That's being a bully. That's not understanding leadership. That's a love of power and an arrogance that says 'my way is the right way'. This is a 'it's my way or the highway' mentality. We don't like being challenged or questioned.
Leadership isn't a position or a title. Just because you have them, doesn't mean you know how to lead. I'm a leader. I've been under a number of leaders. The best ones I have had have both been in non-christian organizations, with one other from a christian org. (this is not a post bashing those organizations - but it is a post about being aware and maybe, just maybe learning from others, and doing things better than unbelievers). What did these three have in common?:
1. They trusted me to do my job.
2. They didn't micromanage.
3. They led by example, not tyranny.
4. They encouraged me often.
I grew as a person and a worker under them. I learned a lot about leadership from them - the good and the stuff I wanted to stay away from.
We are seeing this all over christian organizations: churches, universities, and other religious organizations. An abuse of power, a love of power and money, fighting with other believers publicly, bashing each other publicly and worst of all, using scripture to justify ourselves. Example: the oft quoted Matt. 18 when addressing issues with each other. I have heard this used so often only to find that the leader doesn't even follow their own admonishment. If you use it, apply it.
Leadership welcomes differences and is ok with being challenged. Leadership requires and welcomes accountability.
My father always taught us that to be a leader, you needed to be a servant. He wasn't perfect. But he hit the nail on the head here. Actually, he just followed Jesus. You want to lead? Serve. You want to lead? Be humble. You want to lead? Be self-aware. What I mean by that is understand your own strengths and weaknesses. If God hasn't gifted you to lead (because He didn't gift us all to lead), then don't put yourself in those positions. Hopefully you have people around you to see that and help with those decisions. However, sadly, I have seen this not happen either. Putting people in positions where they don't possess the gifting to be successful, is setting them up for failure and not being a Godly friend/boss/whatever. If God has not gifted you in an area, He does not CALL you to that.
Let's see if I can give this a visual or two. That's like putting someone in the position of middle school coaching when the person 'hates' middle schoolers. Or, putting someone like me, who has no patience for crap and has no tact, in a communications role. Am I right? LOL - Better yet, that's like asking me to lead a group of middler schoolers on a school trip (like the one I am watching in the airport right now!) MYLANTA!
OK, let's face it, I am on a rant and need to end this. But can we just do better? Maybe if we just follow Jesus and do the two main things: Love God - Love Others. Of course then we would probably have to define what THAT means and looks like because I see a lot of people saying they love Jesus, but they .... fill in the blank of sinful actions. Yes, I know we all sin. Not what I'm saying.
Speaking of leadership...I bought a condo recently! Now what does this have to do with leadership, you ask? Well, let me tell you. I am now on the leadership team of the condo association board. Yes, you read that correctly - LOL - I am the new secretary of the board.
My neighbor, who is about 75, and who by the way, has a boyfriend! said that I should volunteer because they need some young blood in there! Ha! Glad to know someone thinks I'm young. It's probably time to make some changes when your policy booklet looks like it was printed in the 1940's!
Love - Serve - Lead - with humility and sacrifice.
