Leadership can happen at different
levels but it is still leadership
1.Leaders should possess high character
2.Leaders must know what the vision or
direction is, why that is important, and how to communicate it with clarity and
conviction
3.Leaders need to be able to facilitate
movement in the people they are leading
4.Leaders must always remember that they are
leading people and operate with respect and care for people while still
encouraging giftedness andmaintaining
high expectations.
5.Leaders needs to be excellent in their area
and be willing to grow and learn and develop.
Developing Leadership
Am I cut out to be a leader?
Last week: everyone leads something
Leadership profile of the disciples… how ‘ready’ were they?
The next question is…
How do you grow as a Leader?
1)Recognize where you are
2)Some principles of leadership development
1)Recognize where you are
Timeline of leadership (Bobby Clinton – The Making of a Leader)
1.Sovereign Foundations
Time before conversion
God gives people personality characteristics
that after new birth will correlate to spiritual gifts.
God providentially uses both the good and bad experiences in leaders’ lives
to prepare them for later use under his lordship.
During this phase God is preparing a leader
through experiences and character traits.
CONVERSION
2.Inner-life Growth – Developing Christian Character
The new Christian is mentored and disciple
Development of personal disciplines (prayer,
devotion)
Beginning involvement in ministry
Clinton notes that “most people are anxious
to bypass Phase II and get on with the “real thing” – Phase III, ministry.Phase II isvery important
How a person’s leadership expands depends on how the leader responds to the
Lord’s shaping process. God patiently develops discernment and obedience
through tests; each successive test building on the previous one. If a leader
fails or skirts a test, God graciously provides another opportunity for him or
her to succeed.That process is always
about the leader’s willingness to do what God wants
3.Ministry Maturing – Developing ministry skill
The disciple senses ministry is increasingly
becoming a focus of their life, whether as a specific call or an ongoing
lifestyle
There is increasing awareness of giftedness and
an increasing effectiveness as a leader.
The disciple is motivated to explore
ministry options and spiritual giftings. They begin to develop their
ministry skills and experience, learn about people, relationships, and
ministry.
Much of the growth in the new disciple is
self-directed, meaning the disciple must take it upon themselves to look for
opportunities to volunteer, minister to others and evaluate effectiveness.
Ministry is thus often organic, unpaid and unscripted.
Though the leaders attempt to maximize their impact during this phase, God
is trying to teach them that they minister out of who they are.
4.Life Maturing – Mature Fruitfulness / Deepening
Character /Testing
Leaders are now mature enough for God to begin to work through them.
They have also gained enough wisdom to prioritize their spiritual gifts and
understand where to focus their efforts.
Ministry priorities are also established
during this phase
Deepening Character/Testing:
Leaders often undergo a testing period that can be intense and can last a
long time (possibly a decade!).
This season may be characterized by intense pressure, family crisis,
ministry conflict, and other kinds of pressures.
Perspective is gained on ministry’s role in their lives; that the success
of the ministry itself is not as important as their relationship with God.
The result is a shift deep in the person’s heart where their focus moves
from doing to being. It is often the release from an identity based on
performance.
Young leaders who have a track record of fruitfulness can, and do,
misinterpret this season as a lack of affirmation or a redirection of sorts.
They can easily give up; the challenges are too many.
Persevering with the Lord through these circumstances is an important
season for a developing leader
5.Convergence – Ministry is Maximized
This phase is the culmination of the previous four.
Many leaders never reach this phase, because they are unable to move beyond
the earlier stages.
There is a clear fit between the needs of the ministry and the gifts of the
leader.
God opens a distinct role for leaders that showcases the best of what they
have to offer.
Personality, training, experience, gifts and
geographical location converge to release ministry that is not only effective
but also widely appreciated.
6.Afterglow
This is a phase when a person’s ministry is
so influential over such an extended period of time, that the person enjoys the
afterglow of effective ministry.
They enjoy a wide range of existing relationships spanning a long life
They accrued a great amount of wisdom that benefits younger leaders.
In reality few get there.
Principles Of Leadership Development
Invest, Commit
You have to be willing to grow and learn or you will never lead well
You won’t move from one phase to another
Be teachable – learn
Accept feedback
Ask the hard questions of yourself and adjust if necessary
How well do you maintain self-control when things go wrong?
How do you indentify and deal with bad habits?
How well can you handle criticism?
To what degree do you think independently?
Can you gain the cooperation of others?
Can you correct someone without it being a power play?
Are people comfortable around you?
Are you comfortable around other people?
Can you forgive?
What are you passionate about?
Learn from your experiences
Be honest, be humble, be willing to change and adjust
Discern if possible what the Lord is/was trying to teach you
Learn from others Mentoring/Coaching
Being mentored
Find someone you admire
Mentoring others
You will learn a lot about yourself
Study/Learn about leadership
Hundreds of Books, Videos, Conferences, Podcasts, etc
Exercise Self Discipline
Quotes
“If you cannot lead yourself, you cannot lead others”
“Before we can conquer the world, we must first conquer the self”
“If you could kick the person responsible for most of our troubles, you
wouldn’t be able to sit down for weeks”
More potential leaders fail because of inner issues than outer ones
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