Leadership & Possibilities

I've been thinking a lot about leadership and the possibilities that can come out of that. I've been thinking about:

• What kind of leader am I?
• What kind of leader do I want to be?
• Who am I leading, and where are we going?

As my Husband and I are leaders in a church, I often wonder what's our responsibility beyond what we know? I know our day to day stuff, I know what we're supposed to do and what we're not. What's expected and what isn't. But, sometimes I wonder am I leading the way people want to be led? Are we making the impact God wants us to make?

I just finished up a great book (a review is coming soon) and I've been reading the author's blog a lot lately for my own personal growth, knowledge and wisdom. This morning, I read something on his blog that really struck me and the ideas of leadership I've been dealing with and questioning. Here's what Pete Wilson has to say:

"I proceeded to tell him in the simplest of terms that a leader has a different calling than the player. A player just has to show up and give his best. A leader has to show up and not only give his best but make sure he sets the rest of the team up to give their best.

I said, “Son if you show up at that game tomorrow scared the rest of your team is going to be scared. If you show up thinking you’re going to get beat, the rest of your team is going to think they’re going to get beat.”

I’m often reminded that while part of my job is defining reality… seeing possibility is equally, if not more important as a leader.

Is there a chance they’ll get killed tomorrow? Absolutely

Is there a chance they’ll pull off the upset of the year? Absolutely. And that chance goes up if a leader steps up to the plate, looks each team member in the eyes and practices the art of possibility.

If you lead a church, an organization, a small business, or a family you need to be reminded the people following you desperately want and need to be led. They need you to define reality, but they also need you to practice the art of possibility.

They need not be reminded of what is likely, apparent, or impending for those things are obvious to the average person. They need to be reminded of what they cannot see on their own. They need to be reminded of what just might happen against all odds.

That’s leadership. That’s the art of possibility. "

That kinda hit me where I'm at! We all need leaders in our lives even if you are a leader. You need to be challenged beyond what you already know. If we challenge ourselves beyond what we already know, if we seek it out there's a ton of possibilities for our lives and where we can go. 

I'm called to be a leader in my home, for my child, for my Husband and in my church and everyday life. But, I don't want to miss a minute of what God might want to teach me through this season. What does he want to teach me in my own leadership style? Who I lead? 

I want to be this kind of leader.