Leadership Torque

Be a leader or do leadership?

I have a hunch that lots of people want to be a leader. Who wouldn't want to? It's glamorous and sexy, every follows you and cheers you and thinks you're the greatest, you have all the power, and at the end of the day you receive all the glory. Well I think that's what most people who want to be a leader think. But those of us who do have the honour and privilege to lead, also know that this is far from the reality.

Leading people in the Church must be one of the most difficult and heart wrenching occupations a person can do. Of course there is great joy and success, but it's unequal to the amount of disappointment, heartbreak, frustration, sleepless nights and pain you have to endure. But the flip side is that if this is your experience and people are still following you then you are doing leadership not just being a leader by title!

"Given" Leadership

I found myself shocked the other day. I bumped into someone who had come to our Church just a couple of months prior, and then vanished. I asked him how he was and what he was up to and he said "I'm really great, I'm going to another Church now and have been given leadership." I was stunned. For several reasons:

1. From previous conversations I knew that the young guy in questions was struggling with central issues of faith.

2. He had been given leadership before he actually joined the Church, or knew if he liked it.

3. Leadership isn't a trophy you hold above your head and proclaim 'I have achieved this status', which is what this young guy was doing.

It makes sense in this day and age that many people view leadership like this and my gut feeling is that those who do are destined for disaster. Leadership is about serving people, about giving your life to a cause and through that commitment and devotion influencing others to follow you. I think if the obtaining of leadership is something you want to celebrate then maybe leadership in the Church isn't the best fit for you or the Church?