Tuesday, 5 March 2013

Get out the way.

Often leaders think that they know best and its their way or the highway. It would be fair to say that this has been my journey over the last few years. I am a confident leader and person who loves doing stuff and being involved with church life. But sometimes this has been to the determent of others growth. It is my desire to be a leader who leaders and release others to be the best they can and support them in that journey.

To highlight this I want to share two stories:

1 - In my previous role at Leicester South I ran a mission week in the community we were moving the church into. Essentially, I did it on my own with a little help from one other person. It was a disaster and had little or no impact what so ever. I remember reflecting back with our church leaders after the week about why it hadn't worked and what I could do as a result. The overriding question in my mind was "why didn't they stop me doing it." Yet, I am grateful they didn't as I now know that you should never try to do anything on your own. I can confess I have not always expressed this lesson but am certainly trying to.

2 - Just a few weeks ago we dedicated (Christened) our new son Benjamin. The worship group were leading 2 songs where in between there is some music or someone to pray. About 10 mins before the service the Worship Group leader, Luke, asked me to do the prayer. I said no. As the time came during the Worship Groups songs for someone to pray, Mike began to pray a beautiful prayer of dedication and love for Ben and our family. I was far better coming from mike than me! Thanks to Luke for asking Mike and for Mike stepping up and doing it.

Sometimes as leaders we need to keep out the of the way so others can learn from their failures and success. A leaders joy should be in witnessing others discovery and often coming up with better ideas or solutions than yourself. To do this a leaders job is to ask the right questions to assist others learning (will look at this in more detail in future blogs). This doesn't mean that as leaders we absconded from our responsibility for the success or failure of something under our leadership. In fact, the opposite is true. We take seriously not just the things we have under our care but the people we lead and rely on to make them happen.

Maybe you need to get out the way and let others discover the gifts they have and let them use them.

Matt

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