A few days ago I read a post on Seth's Blog. Seth made the point that Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.
That comment alone made me uncomfortable.
It made me uncomfortable because there are so many common, daily situations where leadership is necessary. Like in the family; someone has to take the lead. As parents it's up to us to lead out and ensure that the focus that we believe is important is the direction in which we are all heading. We've got to be OK with our kids not liking what we are doing all the time - trust me I have two teen age sons so I know of which I am speaking! But if no one leads in a home, chaos and stifled growth will be the result.
I'm reminded of what Jesus had to say about leadership in Matthew 20:25-28 (MSG):
So Jesus got them together to settle things down. He said, "You've observed how godless rulers throw their weight around, how quickly a little power goes to their heads. It's not going to be that way with you. Whoever wants to be great must become a servant. Whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. That is what the Son of Man has done: He came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage."
In Kingdom economy comfort is not a thing to be sought; so in Kingdom economy we can be uncomfortable and still go forward. I think Jesus was letting his disciples know in this passage that the reason you can lead (deal with the uncomfortable) is because you've already made the decision that it is not about you - it is about those you lead.
Leadership means caring enough about the people whom you are leading to do what it takes.
What are you learning about leadership these days?
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