Leadership

Several weeks ago, I attended a men's retreat through my Church.  The speaker at that event, Drew Derreth, gave a series of excellent talks on leadership.  Below is a summary.

Talk 1- The Path Leaders Take

The path leaders take is one from strength to weakness, from pride to humility, from trying to trusting.  Following a path to please God can, if we're not careful, turn into keeping God pleased, and become a treadmill of strength and trying to earn the impossible.  Grace flows downhill, and in the Bible, Samson, Gideon, David, and Jesus are all examples of how their ascent corresponded directly with a humbling descent (in their hearts)- a dying to self necessary (paradoxically) for life, and a learning to trust rather than to please.

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 1:27, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, Philippians 3:7-11

Talk 2- The Target Leaders Aim For

"What is the problem with the world?  I am." - G.K. Chesterton

Leaders should aim for the heart.  We need to change the root of the tree (or people) and not focus on the fruit.  People respond to events based on their heart/perception.  Leaders often focus on the response, but should focus on the heart, as that's what's driving the response.  Our hearts are either anchored in Christ (leading to change) or detestable things (leading to destruction).

Scriptures: Mark 7:14-23, Jeremiah 17:5-10, Ezekiel 11:19-21, Matthew 7:16-20, Psalm 51

Talk 3- A Case Study of the Heart

The heart is deceitful and wicked above all things.  We need to be mindful about this, and not trust in man but in the Lord.

Scriptures: Jeremiah 17:5-9

Talk 4- The Tools Leaders Use

"Start where you are.  Use what you have.  Do what you can." - Arthur Ashe

God uses the 'nobodies'- and leaders need much less than they think they need.  Every part, no matter how small, advances the mission; God can and does use an ass to speak every Sunday.  There are many needs in this world- God starts by raising leaders who see the need (simply identifying the need may be an indication that you should lead an effort to fill it).  As we proceed, however, we must keep our focus- if we lose sight of who God is or who we are, we start to distort everything.

Scripture: Matthew 18

Talk 5- Sunday Worship

In the sermon's Scripture passage (John 5- Jesus talking to a woman at a well), Jesus crosses natural (gender, national, ethnic, moral) barriers to exalt the marginalized and outcast.  The heart of a leader considers people- especially the outcasts.  Jesus sees through physical need to true spiritual need.  The Gospel has a bipolar nature to it- we both grab it and push it away at the same time.  Peter does this in Luke 5, the woman does it in John 5, and it shows both our need and our hearts (as we recognize a need but desire to fill it in our own way- which ultimately cannot satisfy).

Scripture: John 5, Luke 5

Thoughts

This talk was just what I needed.  I've read a fair number of leadership books (Christian and secular), and they all go quickly to action- "do this, not that."  This series of talks took a step back and looked and the foundation and heart of the matter.  To be effective as leaders, we need to learn that it's not about us, and the more we grow, the more we'll be required to lessen- to sacrifice ourselves.  Our focus should not be on behaviors but on the heart that produces them, and we need to start where we are- and not wait for some ill-defined point in our future- and do what we can with what we have.  In all, I came away humbled and saddened for how wrong my focus in leadership had become. May mine be a godly grief, which produces repentance, and not a worldly grief, which produces death (2 Corinthians 7:10).