Are you leading
well like you’re supposed to?
1. You’re not
leading well if you’re not operating in your area of gifting.
Proverbs
18:16 (ESV) A man’s gift makes room for
him and brings him before the great.
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| photo courtesy, xhelensarahx.com |
You
have a God-given gift that will make room for you in this world. It’s your
gateway to great achievements. Your job is
to bring that gift to the world as a service to the people. But first, discover
it.
For a person
like Lebron James, finding his gift is easy. He doesn’t have to go around
asking people what they think he’s born to do. He’s a natural athlete - 250 lb,
6’8, runs like a deer and jumps like a kangaroo. Everything about him shouts
basketball player, not ballerina.
You may be
leading in an area other than where you are naturally good at right now and you’re
probably getting the job done. But you’re robbing someone else the
opportunity to excel in that job. Stick to your area of gifting and delegate everything else. That way, you’ll
add more value.
What is your
gift? Are you operating in your area of gifting?
2. You’re
not leading well if you’re not constantly and consistently developing your gift.
A
mango seed is a mango tree. The tree just hasn’t shown itself yet. Similarly,
you are a leader. It’s just that, most likely, you haven’t manifested it yet. You
still need to be planted in good soil and be fertilized. Weeds surrounding you have
to be uprooted. You have to be cultivated so that your branches, leaves and
fruits will have a fighting chance of coming out.
So
many people don’t discover who they really are because they’re planted in toxic
environments.
Are
you deliberately growing yourself and developing your gift?
3. You’re
not leading well if you confuse people’s interest in your gift with their love
for you.
This
is where things get problematic. Have you ever wondered why most celebrities, rock
stars and top rank athletes who have lost their luster or athletic superiority suddenly
get depressed, feeling abandoned?
First,
know that anyone who
discovers their gift and develops it becomes a commodity – someone for whom people
would line up and pay to see perform, because people are wired to be amazed and
drawn to excellence, achievement and realized talents.
Secondly, understand
that people follow you only because they’re benefiting from your gift and
not because they love you.
The point is,
your job as a leader is to bring your gift to the world as a service to the
people. Don’t be blinded by the attention.
There was a
man once who served the people – healed their sick, gave them bread to eat,
taught them how to live and offered them a free pass to paradise. But, those
same people who benefited from Him asked that He be crucified. The man loved
them and completed His mission still.
That’s how
we ought to lead.
