The Trust of Leadership

Scripture:
"For God has put it in their hearts to execute His purpose by having a common purpose." Revelation 17:17

Observation:
Leadership is never an easy thing. It is easy for a leader to look around him and determine what needs to be done. It is an entirely different animal when it comes to actually leading others to join you. People rarely follow anything that does not resonate within their hearts. This passage from Revelation reminds me of the power in purpose.

Application:
One thing that I will never be accused on having in excess is patience. I want what I want, when I want it. Anything that involuntarily slows me down represents an obstacle that must be quickly resolved. I am also very determined and generally can work to get what I want. But, that does not always mean people are behind what I am doing.

There is a huge difference in leading people to accomplish a mission and forcing people to complete a task. Leading people on mission requires me to slow down, think through the purpose behind what is needed, and paint a picture that allows others to find their common purpose in the task at hand. It is slow. Painfully slow. Often it feels like I am stuck behind someone driving 25 mph on the interstate. However, in the end, it is the right thing to do.

Leaders are called by God. I believe that with all my heart. The trouble is that people in leadership often get confused about how to use their power. My time in leadership has taught me this; the purpose of the power bestowed on a leader is to facilitate the fulfillment of God's will in the lives of those you SERVE. It is not to create success. It is not to turn a profit. It is not to grow an organization. Those all can be really good things, but they are a result; not a goal.

The ultimate duty of leaders is to spend time praying over what God has planned for each individual who is served by your leadership and then spending yourself in seeing that plan accomplished.

Prayer:
Leadership is a trust given to one man or woman over the life of another. I need your help in being a good steward with the lives you have entrusted to me. Whether it be my children, wife, family, friends, team members or parishioners; there are many lives relying on me to be faithful with my time, talents, and resources.

I pray that You protect me from pride. I pray that You continue to eradicate selfishness from me. I ask that You afford me the purity of purpose, clarity of vision, and security of success I need to move forward with the mission given to me.

Help me to live my life as a man on purpose and allow me to communicate that purpose in a manner that invites others to find their common purpose in the agenda given to me.