Ever been in situations where things didn’t go as planned? Volunteers didn’t show up. Band train wrecked. Your team just doesn’t seem to “get it”?
Well, I’m just gonna say it.
Improvement starts with you, leader.
Are you a leader worth following?
Do you command the respect of your team? Not in a dictator-like, demonstration of power. More of a quiet, subtle, yet bold confidence that people are drawn to.
So what makes you a worship leader worth following?
I can think of at least 10 things:
1. Are you a good communicator? – great leaders not only communicate well from the platform, they communicate behind the scenes as well. They keep their team up to speed with what is going on. They don’t let people go weeks without contact.
2. Do you get things done? – great leaders don’t just talk, they do. Leaders lose respect when they talk about things but never act on them. Anybody can talk about great things. Leaders do them.
3. Are you an encourager? – Or do you simply “talk at” your team? Great leaders appreciate. They appreciate the hard work their team sacrifices day in and day out. They speak words of encouragement. Speak it and speak it often.
4. Are you open about your weaknesses? – leadership myth 101 is that to be a great leader you need to dominate all spheres of everything – you need to be awesome at all things. That couldn’t be further from the truth. Actually, a leader worth following is one who is open about where they’re weak. They empower others who are better to do what they can’t do.
5. Do your skills set you apart from the crowd? – don’t get me wrong, great leaders have powerful skills, they just don’t have to be great at everything. Many times a team struggles because the leader practically can’t do what they’re leading. They haven’t worked their butt off to get good. A leader worth following not only recruits where they are weak, but they lead well where they are strong.
6. Do you solve problems? – Leaders solve problems. When there is relational conflict, the leader can see beyond the immediate difficulty and provide perspective that puts the team at ease. A leader worth following is solution-oriented. Don’t bring up problems and, God forbid, don’t create problems. See the need and creatively provide a solution.
7. Do you embrace confrontation when necessary? – Leaders worth following learn to embrace confrontation. It comes with the territory. If you continually avoid hard conversations you’ll struggle to maintain followers. Learn how to engage in difficult conversations in a way that empowers people to change.
8. Do you manage your life well? – Great leaders have their personal lives under control. Actually they do more than just manage activities. They prioritize what is most important in their lives. This provides focus to their life and, ultimately, better leadership. If your life is out of control, you can’t stay on top of your tasks, and you’re constantly stressed, you’ll have a hard time being a leader worth following.
9. Are you prepared? – We all know you show up. But do you show up ready? Nothing is more frustrating than following a leader who is not ready for what needs to be done. Leaders worth following put in the time to prepare in advance for what needs done. Not only do they show up, they show up ready to lead with excellence.
10. Have you internalized your vision? – Great leaders don’t just recruit people to do tasks. They attract people to accomplish a vision – a vision worth dying for. Knowing the vision isn’t enough. You need to internalize it – live it, breathe it, speak it. It needs to be an extension of who you are, not just what you do.
Question: What else makes you a leader worth following? You can leave a comment by clicking here.
This was good. I always try to be a leader that encourages. It is so easy to get frustrated with things…
Yea, bro. Don’t get too frustrated on the spot with people. Learn to control that frustration and take it out in one-on-one, more pastoral settings. Know what I mean?
I think I’m going out on a limb here to be very honest…
Number 8 is a big stuggle for me…
With a wife of 8 years, and 2 kids, it gets to be very tough to manage it all. And this is only the tip of the ice berg. What happens when God decides it’s time to take it to the next level of God willing, touring? or recording at a faster pace with long nights? It’s really scary actually.
When it comes down to it, bro, and I’m sure you know this – your family comes first. You can tour, record, and minister your eyeballs out and if you lose your family, it’s a tragedy. Do what you can, but make sure your family has all of you. Thanks for being honest, bro.
I would say that if you are a leader that releases people into their giftings then you aren’t a good leader. Some leaders love displaying their giftings without releasing their followers into what they have been called to and are good at.
Just a thought though.
I’m assuming you meant to say “if you AREN’T a leader that releases people”. With that being said, I agree with you 100% and wish I would have included that in this list. Thanks my friend.
Great post, David, and these 10 questions are so relevant. I especially think being prepared for your rehearsals is so important. Some of my team members are arriving at rehearsal after 12 hour days, so not being prepared is disrespectful of their time.
Also, having recently recast my vision for our team, I’m realizing how important it is to communicate and over-communicate that vision regularly. It’s a great reminder to my team of why we do what we do, and sure enough, after almost 2 months, they’re starting to really “get it.”
I heard a sermon by one of T.D. Jakes’ staff members recently that asked a similar question that absolutely should make this list: “If people modeled their life after yours, would they become more or less like Christ?” Talk about a spiritual slap in the face. Great post, friend!
Dude, that is a killer quote. That’s something I need to hear everyday. Thanks.
Any leader who thinks they’re worth following, isn’t.
I suppose there is a difference between BEING a leader worth following and THINKING you’re a leader worth following. The first is built on action and character, the other just foolish pride.
Awesome post Dave! I agree!
Thanks Kate!
I think a leader worth following writes blog posts about being a leader worth following… looks like you got it down. But seriously, great stuff. I appreciate your specificity. I think great leaders are also great learners. They look beyond themselves to learn from other leaders, and resources. Just a thought.
Another great one, Jimmy! This is why I love comments 🙂 I should have included that too!
I love that line, “Great leaders are great learners.” Good stuff, Jimmy.
Agree Jimmy!
David – I’d love to hear/read more of your thoughts on #7 “Learn how to engage in difficult conversations in a way that empowers people to change.”
May be a good blog topic in your awesome ‘delivery tone’ here on your blog – really good stuff bro.
That may be a good post idea. There’s a way to confront that pushes people away in anger and a way to confront that is pastoral in nature. It has to do with your tone and where you direct the person. Thanks for the encouragement bro!
As far as being a worship leader worth following …
Make it easy for people on your team to excel, to do their personal best (#1,3,6 help with this)
For example, I had keyboard player who really benefited from having a lead sheet with musical notation, so I tried to provide one for every song. I had another keyboard player who couldn’t read legit, but was great with a number chart.
I guess the leadership principle is to serve your team so they can do their personal best.
I found this via a link from another post, so apologies for commenting so late…
The 10 bullet points are great. I couldn’t agree more. One of things you said prior to that is what has been a stumbling block for me over the years – confidence. It isn’t an issue of a lack of confidence, it’s over confidence that is viewed as arrogance. My dad taught me the same thing Ryan said above – if you show up unprepared, you are being disrespectful to everyone else. If anything, I am usually over prepared (if there is such a thing) and get frustrated when others aren’t. That’s where I have to work on the “quiet, subtle’ part of confidence.
Several years ago, I met a guy that I really admired. From day one I thought, “Wow, I’d like to be like that guy.” I asked if I could buy him lunch and pick his brain a bit and he agreed. What I found out that day was that he lived by a personal motto which read, “Today I will be a man Christ would seek out to be His disciple, and also a man He would be willing to follow”. At first I thought, “Dude. How arrogant can you be! You want Christ to follow you??” But then I got to thinking about what it would mean to be a man that Christ would be willing to follow. This guy had no intention or desire for Christ to follow him – just to be the kind of man that earned that kind of respect.
#5 would be second on my list – delegating. I’m horrible at it! I always tell myself, “I can get it done faster/better myself”, and then get nothing done because I’m trying to do it all. The guy I mentioned above asked me one time, “Is raising up new leaders important to you?”. Of course I said it was. His reply still haunts me… “Kinda tough for people to follow in your footsteps if you won’t move your foot.”
Thanks for the reminders on leadership, David. Much appreciated.
Excellent insights, Damon. Thanks for sharing!