Wisdom for LeadersSample

Follow Jesus First

Good leaders are first good followers. Do you follow the orders of Jesus? When he asks you to do the uncomfortable, do you move out of your comfort zone with confidence? Compelling Christian leadership has focused followship on their Master, the Lord Jesus. Where is He asking you to go that requires sacrifice and unconditional commitment? His orders do not always make sense, but they are totally trustworthy and helpful.

When He directs you to leave the noise of the crowds to the quiet of a few, do not delay. If you are obsessed with activity, you can easily lose your edge on energy and faith. When all of my oomph is consumed on serving every request and answering every call, I have no time or concentration to hear from Christ. What is He saying? This is the most important inquiry I can make. What is Jesus telling me to do? So, when I listen, I learn.

You may be in the middle of a monster season of success, so make sure your achievements do not muffle the Lord‘s message. When we are fast and furious, our faith becomes perfunctory and predictable. Leadership requires alone time to retool and recalibrate our character. People follow when they know you’ve been with Jesus.

The most difficult part may be transitioning from doing less to listening and thinking more. If you, as the leader, are not planning ahead, who is? Who has the best interest of the enterprise in mind? Who is defending the mission and vision of the organization so there is not a drift into competing strategies? Follow Jesus first; then He frees you to see.

Where is the Lord leading you to go? Will you lag with excellent excuses, or will you make haste and move forward by faith? Go with God, and He will direct you through the storms of change. He may seem silent at times, but remember He led you to this place, and where He leads, He provides. Follow Jesus first, and go wherever He goes. You will lose people in the process but gain better people for His next phase (Matthew 6:24).