Don’t micromanage. Trust your team and their many years of experience.
Build relationships. People don’t follow a title. They follow someone they love and respect. Trust and respect takes time to gain.
Get some wins under your belt. Even if they are small leadership wins, your team will see this and it will cause them to begin to respect you. Authority is earned.
Invest in them. If you invest your time, effort, and energy in helping the people on your team, they will be appreciative of your time.
Know the difference between leading people and managing people. A manager delegates tasks and assignments. A leader invests in people and brings out the best in them. He/she inspires teammates to do great work, make solid decisions and work toward a common goal.
Be confident. If you show insecurity while leading, your volunteers will pick up on it and may become unsure about your leadership abilities as well. This doesn’t mean you should come across as cocky or as a know-it-all. It means you know God has called you to this role and He is with you. Rather than trying to walk in your own confidence, walk in Godfidence.
Admit your mistakes. When you blow it — be honest about it. Balance strength and humility. Don’t let ambition come across as arrogance.
Make changes…slowly. Change should be an open book instead of a secret diary. Bring people into the process of change. In my book “Lead Well in Children’s Ministry” I show the steps you need to effectively lead change. You can get the book at this link.
Ask God for wisdom. You have a promise in James 1:5.
If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
Ask God each day to fill you with the wisdom you need to lead well as a young leader.
Lead on. Lead well. Lead with Godfidence. Lead with God’s anointing. He has called you. He will provide you with everything you need as a young leader.
This article originally appeared here and is used by permission.
