There’s no place for passivity in leadership. We must courageously take our rightful place throughout our life and relationships to effectively bring the goodness we’ve been called to bear. All the same, we must do this with humility and respect – allowing ourselves to be influenced while also regarding the freedom of others.
On the one hand, being a leader doesn’t mean we have all the answers or that we’re the smartest one in the room. In fact, we might be surrounded by those who outshine us in many areas. Our job as a leader is to ensure the domain that God has given us is growing and being transformed for his glory. And we cannot do this when pride keeps us from considering the insights of others.
It’s arrogant to assume we have all the best ideas. And when we use our position to simply push our own agenda we’ve become a bully and not a true leader. Being responsible doesn’t require us to foolishly reject the influence of others on our decisions.
In the same way, being responsible doesn’t require us to micromanage the actions of others. Once a decision is made then we should allow some autonomy in how others execute this according to their own personality and temperaments. And it would be rare for them to do it exactly as we would.
But we must remember we’re leading people and not merely trying to accomplish a task. As such, we must be willing to give up our desperate need for control so others can have the breathing room necessary to become all that God has for them. This is risky and vulnerable. Mistakes will be made and we will have to be patient, kind, and gracious toward them as God is toward us. But this freedom allows us both to grow towards God’s best.
In the end, be decisive in your leadership without neglecting the place of humility and vulnerability. While messier, others have much to offer in their own way. And learning to lead them well blesses everyone, including yourself.
Photo by Mark Sivewright on Unsplash
