If I know anything, I know that leadership is hard.
I have a hard time leading myself, let alone being a catalyst for others to grow, get plugged in, and develop.
Sometimes I wonder, “Why am I qualified or called to be a leader?” I for sure don’t have it all together. I can’t remember if I brushed my teeth this morning, let alone where I see my ministry or business in five years.
Do you feel the same? In over your head? Overwhelmed?
Leadership requires constant maintenance and attention. I wish vision could be cast once, team building could happen once a year, and everyone on the team would just buy in.
But that’s similar to a married couple confessing their love for each other on their wedding day and never again. If you’re married, you know that doesn’t work. Every day – rather – multiple times a day commitment and care needs expressed for a relationship to work.
This wouldn’t be the case if we married robots or led teams of robots who simply do our bidding. But we lead people – stressed, high-maintenance, overwhelmed, wonderful people. As long as that is the case, we need to become better leaders.
There are numerous tensions in leadership. But I want to bring just one to light today: the tension of integrity and productivity.
Leadership = Integrity
Let me clarify with some questions:
- What actions are you doing that make your behavior replicable?
- What are you doing that others should model?
- Who are you that others should imitate?
Leadership isn’t about just what you say. It’s about who you are and how that manifests in what you do. Worship leader, let’s take a few scenarios:
During Sunday morning worship, it’s not enough to tell people to worship and call them to Jesus. You must enter in yourself and live the life of a worshiper.
It’s not enough to just cast vision to your team about greater excellence and preparation. You need to embody it.
You can’t just challenge people to seek God. It must be your very breath.
Leadership = Getting It Done
But it doesn’t stop there. Leaders can’t keep quiet. They need to lead. They need to be bold. They need to follow up. They need to show the path. They need to be clear and communicate.
A leader who talks a big game but has inconsistencies in their own integrity will eventually burn out. They may be able to build something big and even gain momentum but eventually they will burn out and the foundation of their ministry will be compromised.
A leader who has integrity behind closed doors but doesn’t speak up and invest in others isn’t really a leader. They are simply a doer.
We need to find the healthy balance of both worlds.
What do you find to be the greatest challenge in your ministry today? What are you learning as a leader? Let us know in the comments!
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