a l i v e & a w a k e

I have been doing a lot of reading, discussing and debate over the question in the title. Along with ‘who’, I have been thinking about the ‘What’  ‘How’, and ‘When’ questions. My conclusion is this (and has been developing this way for quite some time);

Every single person on this earth is a leader!

How do I define a leader (the number one question asked after I make this statement)?

I define a leader as someone who is willing.  (Maybe I will come back and rewrite this but for now I am convinced this is the number one attribute—especially as a Christ follower).

Every one is made in God’s image, possessing some form of His character or attribute. If this is true, than all are uniquely designed to influence others in the way they have been created. If we steward this attribute, all of us are leaders in that way. All have something to lead others in. There are skills that help develop the best way to influence others, but that is secondary in my mind. I find myself lately (in my job at The Meeting House), running into a lot of smart individuals who have been trained as leaders and are training leaders telling me that my take on everyone is a leader is quite ‘utopia focused’ and not relevant. Slowly but surely, I am starting to voice this more and more and finding that people who are leaders do not want to hear it.

Most people define leadership as a gifted, charismatic individual, born with leadership and rare to find.  I have read a book lately by Kouzes and Posner (authors of A Leader’s Legacy, and Leadership Challenge and been at this leadership stuff  for decades) which they say, “It’s pure myth that only a luck y few can ever understand the mystery of leadership.” They go on to say that like management, leadership can be trained.

David Rock in his book “Quiet Leadership” does most of his study and development from a neurological side and says in essence all brains are built to use the skills and focus of achieving great things and influencing others. It is anatomical! So, now knowing this new (or for some, not so new) information, how do we steward this in our daily life?  This effects: -How we build relationships with others -How we become a cultivator of the leadership role in people -and How we take risks in people who may at first do the job with 60% efficiency to us and let them grow into their 100%

Knowing this, it somehow compels me to seek for the working of God in the individuals I encounter and not just see them as ones who can help achieve something or make my cause better. I now take on a role to see the work of God being elevated and cultivate to the fullest through however I can offer.

I also see myself submitting to people who carry their attribute in a way that I do not and let them lead me and others around them. If they are not leading, than I encourage them to lead others, and wrestle through what that looks like for them in their sphere of influence.  I also see ways of highlighting their abilities to others with roles, opportunities and leadership positions. If they are willing, they will lead. They will lead the way they were led.

I tend to get away from the language of leading because something is lost in this word and replace it with the word--cultivators.  Everyone may now feel they can participate in that term and not feel it is left for the chosen few.

I won’t take much longer on this, but keep this in mind as you read through all my leadership thoughts ---everyone is a leader.

Concluding story

 I had the opportunity to work with a guy named Terry. (for full story see 'abuse, anger and agape' in stories from Joe's view) He would not have been looked up to by many people. He maybe wasn’t the most well spoken man, and he had a rough reputation from fights, drunkenness and other illegal activities. He had a hard time in school and it seems that he may have suffered from alcohol fetal syndrome.

On top of that he had a poor upbringing that brought out many paralyzing insecurities in public.

Is Terry a leader? You bet!

I saw it come out a few times as he taught others about prayer and reading the bible. It was a bible study I lead for youth at-risk and Terry was always quiet, yet really took time to read and learn. His new found faith (about 1 month at the time) had such childlikeness, that on more than one occasion, he dragged us into God’s love and presence with his prayers. He had a gift of prayer that I walked away from being lead in. I also saw him begin to contribute and answer difficult questions about the bible from his studies to other new members. Terry may never hold an earthly position that typical ‘leaders’ hold, but through his willingness and the stewardship of who God has made him to be, he will lead many! He’s lead me to where I am.

-joe