Almost 7 months ago or so, I was asked to step out of my comfort zone and become a Team Leader on the Race. I was nervous, shocked, doubtful, but truly felt the Lord calling me into this role. 5 months later, the time has come for new teams and new leaders, and now I get to experience being on the Race in an entirely new way.
Reflecting on my experience as a leader, I realized that the Lord has taught me SO many lessons about leading. Before the Race, I really never saw myself as a leader. At first, I really felt like an impostor in the role and it was tricky to find my confidence. Now I can see that the Lord made me into leader, but honestly, it’s still hard to confidently say that all the time. I guess that’s why I was nervous about writing this blog. I wasn’t a perfect leader and it’s easy to let the enemy come in and tell me that a few flaws disgraced the whole experience. It’s easy to let discouragement tell me that what I learned isn’t actually valid, and is actually just bad advice.
Deep down, I know that is SO far from the truth. I really don’t want to let the enemy get a hold of my joy, so despite my reservations, I felt the Lord telling me to publicly celebrate my growth with some things I wrote in my journal last month:
- Servant leadership looks like 90% servant and 10% leader – serving is about loving and giving. Sometimes loving others looks like leading them, but many times it looks like giving up your desires to help others serve better.
- You have to be a Follower before a Leader. If you aren’t following Jesus every single day, you won’t be able to pour into anyone else.
- Starting everyday admitting to the Lord you can’t do anything on your own and filling that gap with scripture does beautiful things.
- When you ask, the Lord will speak to you. He might ask you to do certain things that won’t make others happy, but leadership is about obedience not people pleasing.
- You can’t control how others will react, but you can control how YOU will react.
- Good communication is not natural. It will take extra time, energy, and interruptions to do it well.
- The Lord grants leaders discernment and wisdom and lots of other gifts. Use what you got, cause it does a lot.
- You can’t expect what you aren’t willing to give.
- Good leaders find ways to make others leaders.
- You are going to make mistakes. Own up & ask forgiveness.
- Constantly praying over your team is the best way to make sure that God gets the glory for all the good that comes out of your team, not you.
- A positive spirit is a really powerful tool. Don’t let anyone tear that down.
I know I have so much more, but the Lord is slowly revealing lessons as time goes on, so that’s all I’ve got for now! From here on out on the Race, I get to learn how to be a really good follower, and I can’t even begin to describe just how excited I am for that. I’ll leave you a little poem the Lord gave me on a day I was really struggling to be confident in leading. Byeee!
What Being a Leader Looks Like
Asked to be something I’m not
Or at least don’t feel that I am
Oh the pride built up inside
Gently taken away by the Lamb
Oh the fear suppressed within
Threatening to crack open the dam
What if I fail? Why do I care.
What if I’m great? You already are.
What if they love me? That’s not the goal.
What if they don’t? You’re never alone.
Leading is not power
It’s not the right answers
Leading isn’t long monologues
It isn’t blaming yourself
Leaders aren’t the best
They also aren’t the worst
Leading is not worth every moment
All your thoughts, all your care
There’s so much more the Lord has for you
Your brain must share
A leader is not someone you can find looking up
You have to look down
See them kneeling on the ground
They grab the feet of a king
Open up their most treasured possessions
And extravagantly pour out every drop
Leaders know even the corner of the fabric
Just a tiny stitch
Holds more power than the universe
To lead well is to not look like a leader at all
To lead well is to first become a follower
