Tag: Growth

The Future of Leadership

Leading is about the future. From a spiritual perspective, nothing is more important than what the eternal future holds.

However, on a more pragmatic level, leaders need to consider what the future of their leadership looks like.

Will the future hold growth and development for the church or will we be stagnant?

Will our vision point to a future where leadership is stronger or will leadership decline?

Asking questions can be unending. Yet, in the end, we must consider the necessity of planning today to ensure the future of growth and stronger leadership.

To do so, requires us to have a vision for it!

Potential to Grow

The following expression is significant: “Every conversation is important. When a specific wording is missed or an inappropriate judgment made, it can temporarily or permanently stunt another person’s potential to grow in leadership.”

If we understood how our words might promote or hinder the leadership potential of another person, would we give more careful thought to what we say?

Solomon reminds us that the power of life and death are in the tongue. With our words we either build up or tear down.

We must not allow anything to influence our words in such a way that it would discourage someone from reaching their leadership potential.

Spiritual Growth

We want our children to learn how to read and write, understand history, and gain a perspective of math and science. Of course, there are other subjects.

However, do we grasp the urgency of a spiritual education?

We must take a more serious look at the situation and how to better equip God’s people.

We are responsible not just to teach, but to teach others how to learn from God’s word in order that they might teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2).

If we value what we learned from someone who took the time to teach us, then we must imitate their faith (Hebrews 13:7).

Empathy

We often fail to recognize that most of what we see in life is biased by who we are: how we were raised, the environment, culture, and hundreds of other areas, rather than reality.

Interestingly enough, how we see things becomes reality to us. Because this is true, we become entrenched in our beliefs to the point of dogma.

No one is exempt, but we need to understand the importance of patience and love when attempting to help others grow.

Leadership requires us to have empathy, the ability to understand and enter another person’s feelings. The more we do so, the greater our influence.

Change

A few key facts about change.

First, we generally fear change. The older we get the more we dislike change.

Second, not all change is bad. Sometimes change is good.

Third, change is biblical. Repentance means change.

Fourth, change is part of growth.

Where we need to focus is on changing ourselves. Jesus addressed this in Matthew 7:1-5. Most of the world knows verse one, but the idea is we need to look at ourselves and make the needed changes before attempting to help others change.

Transitions

Our family has experienced transitions on several fronts. Multiple moves from one city and state to another is challenging. Add to that a change in culture and climate, the challenges increase. Transitions may or may not be as difficult as a major move, but they introduce challenges nonetheless.

The church continues to face transitions.

Regardless of where we stand on the challenges introduced during a time of transition, the bottom line is the same. Without solid, biblically guided leadership the time of transition will make or break the direction of growth.

The church cannot grow beyond the strength of its leadership.

Team

A leader is one who leads a team in one form or another.

The benefits to leading and working together as a team cannot be listed in one post, but here are a few to consider.

1) More work can be achieved more quickly.
2) Each person on the team can focus on using their abilities.
3) Everyone can use their abilities more efficiently.
4) Ideas are abundant when several work together.
5) Opportunities for encouragement are greater.

Within the church it takes those who specialize in cooking, cleaning, teaching, preaching, singing, praying, serving, shepherding, and the list goes on.

When everyone works together the result is growth!

True Success

Hearing about those who attempt to lead without growing themselves is fairly common. Hearing about those who attempt to lead without growing others is also common, and sad.

Jack Welch once said, “Before you are a leader, success is all about growing yourself. When you become a leader, success is all about growing others.”

When spiritual leaders do not grow first and then grow others, everything and everyone suffers.

The true legacy of leadership is based on growing as a leader and growing others to be leaders.

Be a student of leadership and lead others to be the same.

Leading Spiritual Growth

One of the greatest challenges facing Christian leaders involves measuring spiritual growth. Perhaps a place to start is our activities in life.

Consider developing an application Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3, “Set your mind on things above, not on the things that are on earth.”

Begin with minimizing the way we focus on the things of this earth. We could focus on spending fifteen minutes each day with turning the cell phone, computer, television, and other electronic devices off. Practice spending these few moments in silence and allow God to fill our thoughts.

Once we are comfortable with fifteen minutes, add five more.

Change

Why does the idea of “change” create such fear on the part of so many people? One possible answer is the idea that change brings something negative or bad. Change is also associated with introducing liberalism.

Change, however, can be a positive, powerful, and necessary approach to growth. Mandy Hale says, “Change can be scary, but you know what’s scarier? Allowing fear to stop you from growing, evolving, and progressing.”

Change is biblical; we call it repentance. It still means change.

Our fear of change must not stifle us from achieving all that God can do through us if we will but change.