Andy Stanley is a pastor out at North Point Church in Atlanta. According to his website, (www.andystanley.com) more than 33,000 people attend one of his churches each week! In addition to these thriving churches, Stanley has also planted more than 30 churches throughout Atlanta's Metro area. This man, is a leader if there ever was one. Stanley began his speech by asking 3 simple questions;
1.) What are we doing?
2.) Why are we doing it?
3.) Where do I fit in?
Take a moment to think about these questions yourself as it relates to your leadership role. This could be at work, at church, or at home.
Answering the first question, "What are we doing", should bring you clarity. This should tell you exactly what your purpose is.This is important too, because if you don't know what it is that you are doing, you are going to have a very hard time doing it. For me, There are 3 different answers depending on the role I am referring to. At work, the "what" is being a light to my community through excellence in service, our community, and our team. At home, the "what" is Leading my family in our walk with Christ. At church, the "what" is serving the Lord faithfully, and bringing glory to His name. Now put those three together, and you might summarize it this way, I am leading the people around me in a positive way to bring glory to God. I want to be a positive leader to those under my leadership. One phrase that Stanley said which stuck out to me, was this. He said that "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen." I love that. It says something about the way we should be holding ourselves, as well as the way we should be treating those who we serve.
The second question can be followed by another question. "Why are we doing it?" and "What would happen if we weren't doing it?" I have had the unique pleasure of seeing a glimpse of what might happen if I stop doing what I am doing. I went on a 1 week vacation with my wife to serve at our church's Jr. High summer camp, and I have never felt so popular. My phone and email were going crazy! Luckily, there were others available who were able to manage things and keep things running smoothly until I returned home. PTL for them! So why am I "being a light to my community", or "leading my family", or "serving the Lord"? Because that is what I am called to do. Take a moment to look up a few passages from the Bible. The first, is Matthew 5: 14-16. Next is Ephesians 5:23. Finally, read 1 Peter 4:10-11. God calls us to lead in this world, and it is our duty to obey him. I have been blessed with many things, and so I give back by lending myself to the service of others.
"Where do I fit in?" This is an interesting question, and not one you usually hear from a leader. Like who wants to follow a leader who doesn't know where they fit in? This is again though meant to help you find some clarity. What is your unique contribution? What is your core responsibility? What is it that you do, that no one else does? If you are having trouble answering any of these questions, here is an activity for you. Take 5 minutes, and come up with your job description. Seem too easy? Now try summing up your job description into one sentence. While your at it, have the rest of your team at work do the same. It is an interesting challenge. How to fit all of the things that you do into one single sentence. It will cut out the fluff for sure! If you can do it though, good for you. Simplicity is a wonderful thing in this crazy fast-paced world of ours. Another quote from Stanely says, "Growth creates complexity, which requires simplicity." This means that as your company (for example) grows, things will undoubtedly become more complex. If you have any hope of continuing that growth, you must bring simplicity to it. You have to find a way to smooth out the jagged edges. The more simple you can make it, the more likely people are to follow you and remain happy.
No comments:
Post a Comment