When you do the hard work of self leadership you end up doing more of…
- the stuff that stirs your soul.
- the stuff that you want to spend the rest of your life doing.
- the stuff you’re flat out uniquely good at doing.
You beat back the natural, creeping, “Do I Have What It Takes?”
Most leaders quietly question when they get out of bed in the morning because (link to part 1 blog)…
- They skipped getting clarity about themselves. They think it’s too late. (It’s not.)
- They drift. They know their sweet spot but they let others call the shots for them.
As a result they get trapped in round peg/square hole org charts (link to last week) doing what they’re not good at doing…and not doing it well.
Today, I want to simply acknowledge the two other common combatants that contribute to the “Do I Have What It Takes?”
Past experiences…particularly past disappointments, failures and conflicts.
So, here’ the deal. There’s a high probability that if you didn’t sort this through with a wise elder, mentor, partner, coach, counselor…someone…almost anyone…that cares about you and is reasonably objective…then you learned the wrong thing!
And you’re letting the wrong thing that you learned continue to define you, limit your vision, and create self doubt and low ceilings for everything in your future. And as a result? You wonder: Do I Have What It Takes?
Changing culture. Changing world. ”I’m trained for a world that no longer exists.”
There was a day, a far gone distant day, where the world didn’t change so fast. And generation after generation stayed in our churches. Where patriarchs and matriarchs were the glue that kept extended families connected and in tact in congregations. Where grandmothers quietly confronted pastors and congregational leaders when they got a bit out of bounds and then gathered the family for Sunday dinner. Where automobiles didn’t much exist and airplanes didn’t fly and the Sabbath day was the Sabbath day and not part of an extended weekend or the conclusion of the kids’ traveling baseball tournament.
There was a day when ¾’s of American churches weren’t praying for their next pastor to…
- turn things around.
- reach the young families that never come.
- resuscitate the good old days.
Well those days probably aren’t coming back any time soon. So there are two skills most leaders didn’t learn yesterday that they absolutely need for today and certainly for tomorrow.
- Leaders need to learn to train and disciple people, not only teach/preach. People can get great communicators…maybe/maybe not good biblical teachers…on their phones. None of them can get a godly woman or man to invest in them by listening to a podcast on their phone.
- Leaders need to learn to function like missionaries and help their people do the same. Simply. Ordinarily. … unless the automobile ceases to drive and airplanes cease to fly and unbelieving people stop ignoring our unlocked Sunday morning church doors.
So, if you’re asking “Do I Have What It Take?”
Check out D2MC. Ask Raechel for more. It helps almost any leader gain the “I have what it takes” ability to equip entire congregations.
OR
Identify a couple for 1000YoungLeaders. Ask them to help your congregation step into the vast, unreached mission field of the 20’s and 30’s.
