Imagine this:
You are in charge. You have authority. The buck starts and stops with you.
You are a leader.
Breathe in the fresh air. You’ve arrived.
Leadership is wonderful. Until, of course, when it isn’t.
You can’t get volunteers to show up.
Your best people leave.
You don’t know where you’re going.
Nobody seems to be listening to a word you’re saying.
After a while, the leadership you always dreamed about has become an awful game of crises management.
A Necessary Tension
Something powerful happened in my ministry when I changed my mind. I started to focus on something I knew all along.
I wasn’t just managing volunteers. I was making disciples.
I wasn’t just filling slots. I had a part in changing people’s destinies.
You see, leadership depends on your ability to slow down and really care about people.
You might be asking, “Is it about gettings things done or caring about people?”
Yes, yes it is, my friend. It’s a necessary tension.
How Leaders Get Things Done
Getting things done as a leader is different than getting things done as a doer. Rather than cranking through the to-do list in your moleskin, you look for people to disciple. Then, you open the moleskin together.
It’s less about a task list and more about empowerment. It’s about defining what the “win” looks like for your team and accomplishing that “win” through other people.
You see, your goal at the end of the day isn’t to say, “I accomplished this, this, and this.” Your goal is to say, “Look at these people who were discipled. Look what we accomplished together.”
You don’t have to know everything.
You don’t have to be an expert in all the areas you lead. But you must:
- Care for people
- Empower people
- Know where you’re going
What if I Don’t Know Where to Start?
Start right here: Pick one area of your work. Define what “winning” looks like over the next two months. Get crystal clear on this. Then watch how your communication changes.
No only will you know where you’re going, you’ll know how to empower your team to get there.
In the end, “getting things done” isn’t about “getting things done.” It’s about people.
Go and lead. Your team of world changers awaits you.
Question: How are you influencing people and getting things done with your team? What struggles are you facing? You can leave a comment by clicking here. Go ahead, this community needs your input.
David Santisteven is a worship pastor at Allison Park Church in Pittsburgh, PA. To read his blog, go to DavidSantistevan.com
