Leading Through ChangeSample

The third principle we can learn from the Apostles and how they led the church is that leaders sustain change by sharing the responsibilities of leadership.

When leading change, you may feel a particular excitement and energy about the change. Depending on the circumstances, leading change might feel like the most exciting thing about your leadership role. At other times, leading change may be so full of controversy that it's difficult for you to lead at all. In either case, when it comes to change, we must share the leadership associated with seeing the change accomplished. 

Intuitively leaders understand that leading change will require delegation, but often they get caught trying to do it all and consequently failing to lead at all. To be sure, as a change agent, you and I are called to lead change. Still, biblical leadership involves effective mobilization and visionary leadership - both of which require the art of delegation. 

As Peter was introducing change to the church, he too could have been controlling, or he could have been absent. Thankfully, however, Peter seemed to understand the importance of sharing leadership to sustain change.  

Sometime after Peter cast the vision to those who initially were in disagreement with him (Acts11:3 - 17), word reached the church in Jerusalem about how this change was progressing (v 19 - 22). Upon hearing about the explosive growth of the church in Antioch, the leaders sent Barnabas, a leader of good reputation (v 24), to oversee the progress. From there, Barnabas and Saul/Paul would continue leading the gentile church in Antioch (v 26) before it was passed on to others (Acts 13:1 - 2). The church in Antioch would later become a defining bedrock extension of the early church (v 27).

APPLICATION/ REFLECTION:

Effective Biblical leadership means intentionally mobilizing others through delegation to carry out the mission and vision. In the business or ministry you lead, this may mean sharing the vision of a product, system, or process change while delegating the implementation to management teams, ministry teams/leaders, or employees/members directly.  

Great leaders know how to delegate responsibilities effectively and empower others to accomplish specific goals. Delegation is not a single act; instead, it involves several phases and practices and is a continual discipline in the life of a leader. In any context, sustaining a change will only successfully occur when the leadership and vision are shared with others.

Consider the following:  

• When I delegate, am I sharing tasks or authority?  
• What would it take for me to trust someone else in leading a change?