On Monday the 1st November I had the privilege of celebrating with a fantastic bunch of VIVs (Very Important Volunteers). We said thank you to those who exercise leadership across Logan Uniting Church and to their spouses. Below is part of what I shared with those who attended:
The longer I am in leadership and the more I read about leadership the more I find that very few leaders are born leaders. Also not all, in fact not many, great leaders are naturally charismatic, up front, “go getter” type people.
This is how leadership develops:
• You become a leader when you see a need and seek to fill it; see a possibility and seek to help it happen.
• You become a good leader when as you seek to fulfil this possibility God’s heart catches your heart (passion); and you begin to gather others to help fulfil this possibility.
• You become a great leader when God’s passion has taken such a hold of you that you pay the price of leadership. There is always a price to yourself and even those you love (time, energy, tears, burden of responsibility etc). You also discover it is impossible to fulfil God’s purpose (possibility) on your own and so your focus becomes developing team. You no longer seek to fill the need or achieve the possibility on your own but as a team.
• An exceptional leader has all the qualities of a great leader but a further shift has happened. An exceptional leader is no longer worried about success and certainly not their own success. Rather they are focussed on God’s purposes succeeding and the people they serve succeeding.
Exceptional leaders interplay these 2 foci: doing all they can to help the people they serve grow as disciples of Christ, living in God’s purposes; and together in relationship (team) with them working to bring about the miracle of God’s kingdom being built here on earth
As I look out I see great and exceptional leaders. I say this not just to be nice. Many of you are in leadership because you saw a need and chose to fill it; you saw a possibility and chose to have a go at it. As you did, something of God’s passion began to fill you. I watch you pay the price of leadership – time, prayer, tears; not feeling like serving this week or month or year, but rolling up your sleeves and doing it because you believe God is calling you to. I hear your heart to help those you serve grow as disciples of Jesus - your focus is on those you serve, not yourself.
THANKYOU!
Yours in Christ
Graham Keech
