The Leadership Journey

We know how to lead a worship set, a meeting, an event, or a moment.

But what about a team, a ministry, a department, an organization, or a decade?

As leaders, we must have the energy and determination to move large initiatives forward, to hold the line, and to shift cultures.

If you, as a leader, are saying, “I’m a good leader, they’re just bad followers,” you’re in denial. You must take responsibility for your actions. If you’re being defensive, posturing yourself, or being political, it’s likely because you’re weary, have been hurt, and have taken on offenses.

If you say things like, “If they would just let me (fill in the blank), then I could (fill in the other blank),” you’re missing half of the essence of leadership. Leadership starts with a vision from the Lord and then partners with Him to figure out how to move forward with it. If a God-initiative fails, it likely just wasn’t led well.

Are you jaded, caustic, cynical, sarcastic, and paranoid? What are the loudest voices influencing you?

Have you shut yourself off relationally to people around you because of tiredness and wounding? The fact is that leaders get hurt. So what’s your plan when it happens?

Are you having an identity crisis? Listen to what you’re saying. Is it things like “Do they want me to be their leader?” or “If only they were 100% behind me…” It sounds like fear has gripped you, and you are no longer led by what the Father has said about you.

When you ask yourself what the Lord is teaching you through a challenging leadership experience, do you say, “nothing…just don’t do that again!”? Remember the executive who cost his company 10 million dollars? When his boss called him in, naturally, the executive presumed he’d get fired. Instead, his boss said, “Fire you?! I just spent 10 million dollars educating you!” In the same way, God uses every experience to deepen, strengthen, shape, and refine you… He’s investing! Pay attention and take some notes.

You may be in a Psalm 73 moment right now …do not betray the generation of His children. Guard your tongue. Enter the sanctuary of God. Take responsibility for your actions, your failures, and learn from them. My college choir director taught me, “there are no bad choirs, only bad choir directors.” As a leader, it’s my responsibility. Seek God. Build rapport. Lead wisely. Lead well. And whatever you do, don’t lead alone.

Fill yourself with great books like:

-      The 21 Irrefutable Laws Of Leadership (John Maxwell)

-      Who Stole My Church? (Gordon MacDonald)

-      Switch (Chip & Dan Heath)

-      Made To Stick (Chip & Dan Heath)

-      Today We Are Rich (Tim Sanders)

-      Simple Church (Thom Rainer & Eric Geiger)

-      Radical (David Platt)

-      Onward (Howard Schultz)

One final thought. Often, as leaders, our inheritance is sat upon by giants. But God says, “are you not well able?” Like Caleb, you’re going to say, “Give me my mountain.” (Joshua 14:12) God may then ask you to “Speak to the mountain” (Matthew 21:21). What will your response be?

You can do this!

-Dave Helmuth
(purchase my book, "Worship Fertilizer: (the first hundred)" HERE)

The Leadership Journey (Nº 20)