For the past 2 weeks at City Church Del Rio, we have been looking into the first chapter of Titus in order to establish a Biblical view of true leadership. Leadership appointments in the church are the most important road to revival for our culture to truly turn from their current status and into God’s status. Weak leadership results in weak churches.
I came across Art Rainer’s blog post on leadership this morning and wanted to share it with you. Place yourself in this 4 areas and see where total change needs to happen or tweaking change could catapult your ministry into a new dimension.
Just be yourself.
You be you.
These pieces of advice are given in a variety of scenarios. And, in many cases, you should be yourself. But what about your leadership style? What if you are not getting the results you and everyone else desires? And what if it is not they? What if it is you? What if it is you leadership?
For anyone in a leadership position, this can be a haunting thought.
But it may be a reality. There is a time to accept the possibility that your leadership style is not working. There is a time relearn leadership. There is a time to look to others and their leadership style. And there is a time to release your style and adapt others’ style for your own use.
Here are four reasons why you should stop being you:
- Your leadership is not working. You find yourself without followers. Sure, you hold a position of authority. You have people under you. But there is a difference between having people under you on an organizational chart and having people who are behind you. You want to lead, and they want a leader. Yet, neither they nor you seem to be getting what you all want out of the relationship.
- Their leadership is working. There are many great leaders out there. They come in all shapes and sizes. And they are leading people well and getting positive results. Acknowledge their success. What are they doing right? What can you learn from them? Now may be the time to listen and learn from the many great leaders around you. Now may be the time to incorporate something from their leadership repertoire into your own leadership repertoire.
- You don’t have time to waste. You can spend your career trying to stumble upon what works for you. Unfortunately, most will not wait for you to find your groove. They do not want to spend their years under poor leadership. Fortunately, you can take a short cut by learning from others and immediately using that knowledge for your leadership.
- Great leaders follow great leaders. And sometimes many great leaders. This is leadership’s not-so-secret secret. Rarely does a great leader not learn about and study other great leaders. They mimic styles. They immerse themselves in books. They ask questions of other leaders. They are consistently inquisitive, knowing that there is always something else to learn. Great leaders follow great leaders.
It is difficult to admit that your leadership is not working. It takes humility. However, it is at this point of humility that you may find yourself being the very type of leader you always needed to be—a leader who is willing to listen, learn, and lay down preferences for the sake of those they lead.
Titus 1:6-9:6 – An elder must be blameless,faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. 7 Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. 8 Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good,who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.
Stay in the light, 1 John 1:7,
Pastor Larry
In The Light, 1 John 1:7 