Legacy Leadership and you

For the past month I've been doing a devotional on Legacy Leadership (from the Bible App). It has been pretty good. Most days it hasn't been especially profound, but it has been full of good verses, good reminders, and the occasional glimmer of something more or new.

Yesterday morning, the last day of the plan, there was a comment that caught me. I don't think I've ever thought about this before.

"...if we are to be transformational leaders, we must be transformed. This transformation is not a one time, once-and-for-all-event. Rather, it is an ongoing process that takes place across a lifetime. Paul is the exemplar for this process. Without changing his fundamental personality, Jesus transformed Paul's character and redirected his life. Paul was transformed by his personal encounter with the risen Christ, and for the rest of his life he was being transformed into the image of Christ." 

This is one small paragraph from the devotional for the day. Even in this small section, there is much to unpack. However, what caught me was this: "Without changing his fundamental personality, Jesus transformed Paul's character and redirected his life."

All my life I have heard and seen Paul lifted up as the example of a life transformed, as a servant leader, and as the model after which to strive in every way. Now, I am not in any way saying this is wrong or even off the mark. But. When you look at this statement, and then look at Paul's life in conjunction with how he lived before and after his conversion, I think there is something huge here.

I am not a person who goes after people the way Paul did. I never have been. I'm an introvert, I'm deeply thoughtful, I'm detail-oriented and more of a behind-the-scenes person. Fitting that into what it looks to win people for Christ the way Paul did has not ever made sense, or even been easy to see how to strive for in my life. It means being completely outside of who I am. That being said, I have had examples of others (who are unlike Paul in personality) who have done much to share Christ and disciple people. And I'm highly relational, so in terms of caring and caring deeply, I'm matched perfectly with Paul.

But even before his conversion, Paul pursued (what he saw as) justice and law and his mission in life with gusto. He chased Christians (in order to punish and/or kill them) in such a manner that it was nearly impossible to imagine him not attaining his goal. He was a full-speed-ahead kind of guy. He put his entire heart and soul into what he did - even when it was wrong. So once he'd been confronted with Christ, and had realized the truth, his life changed drastically - but his personality didn't. He still pursued the cause (now of Christ and the Church) with his whole being, with all of his time and mind and heart. He was still Paul - but now redeemed and continually transforming into more of Christ.

This is what struck me. When Paul was created, the moment he was made, God knew and designed him for the mission he would later come to in his life. God also knew that this would cause much sadness and pain until the conversion of his soul. But he designed him JUST the way he ought to be.

The crazy thing? He did that with me, too. So, while I am not like Paul in most ways (and I still have -always- extremely far to go in emulating Christ), I don't have to be like Paul in his personality - but rather in his heart. That, I can do, because that is what is the example here. Emulating Christ. Being transformed. Below is some of the other pieces of the devotional that spoke to my heart.

"Legacy Leadership is more about who we are than what we do. Our being is more important than our doing; but, what we do flows from who we are. ... Legacy leaders understand that leadership is not about them but begins with them. ... They do not lead from a distance...they are among those they lead, and are not afraid to show compassion and emotion for their followers. ... As [their] followers are themselves transformed, they become examples for others and the legacy process is perpetuated, resulting in more leaders who make a difference now - and for generations to come." 

As with so many things, it isn't about me, but it begins with me. And if I become more like Christ and like people like Paul, in my own way (the way God designed me), then I can be part of the change in the world. In the end, that's worth more than anything else I could ever do, and it's being part of his plan and his transformational work.

Scripture for the day's devotional: 1 Thess. 1, 2:1-12

basics

Came across this article yesterday thanks to a former teacher/coach (thanks Walsh). Here are a couple things that really resonated with me:

"... we need to go back to the basics of living as disciples of Christ, living missionally for Christ and demonstrating the Gospel in tangible ways within our schools, workplaces and communities."

"... the fight over symbolic issues is backfiring, alienating people from the truths of the gospel rather than attracting them to it. The kind of Christianity the world responds to is the authentic "love your neighbor" kind. Its appeal can't be legislated through court battles and neither can courts stop its spread."

I'm still stewing on how this comes out and how to make it not just "good thoughts" in my head, but truth, Christ in action.

I read some debate about it where he had posted it and it was really good to get me beyond just thinking it was interesting and moving on with my day. I have some changing to do. Hope it gets you thinking too.

Missing Pieces

I've been missing... sorry about that. Let me 'splain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up:

JAMAICA

Amazing. God made some very clear comments to my heart. Not as clear as I'd like, but clear none-the-less. I had an amazing time despite sweating every moment of every day - including while I slept, ate, worked, and even showered. We're talking dripping down my back as I ate my tiny breakfast at 8 in the morning. Met amazing people who inspire me to follow God's leading and watch what happens, worked with kids who were so excited to hang on us and be loved by us that everything we did/said/showed them was an instant hit, painted, was exhausted, and bonded with some of the coolest students on the planet. Don't know when my next adventure will be, but even now thinking back on my experience there with God, I can't wait to see how He uses me next.

SUMMER DAY CAMP

The reason I never blogged about Jamaica. I came home, I rested for A day. I did enough laundry to get through the week. I worked countless hours making sure we were prepared for Day Camp. This was my life for the next 3 weeks. Oh, and prepping for the fall ministry year. Yeah, cuz there isn't too much to do for that, is there? No. Of course not, silly.

VACATION AT THE LAKE
My saving grace this summer. It was the thing I looked forward to most after Jamaica. It was my time for rest, for recovery, for revitalization. I went with my mom and spent 9 & 1/2 days walking, reading, sitting in the sun, eating junk (spoiled Americans), taking pictures of God's glorious creation, talking with my grandparents, and relaxing (what a concept). It was wonderful.

A DAY WITH THE KIDDOS

I spent my first day back from Minnesota with my brother's family - my beautiful niece, my two adorable nephews, the best sister-in-law a girl could ever hope for, and (one of) my sweet brother(s). Pictures, tickling, laughing, hugging, Elmo-and-silly-song watching joyfulness.

FALL PREP AT WORK and beyond...

Yup. It came fast, it came crazy, it came expected and yet unexpectedly busy for some reason. I have now begun as a leader with our youth group, my small group (which I am also leader of) has switched gears, and I have helped my friend get some of our church's singles events going. It's been amazing, but I have not had a free weekend since ... August 18th. I have been out of town with friends, family, other youth leaders.

Today, in the midst of the last week of September (what??? where did the time go??) I realized I hadn't written here since JULY. (#epicfail) The summary now complete, I vow to be more regular again. Last year was a sad showing. This year has been positively pitiful. Let's make it look a little better before it leaves us, shall we?

Until next time...what have you been up to since July?

The Impact of Interactions

It's been a crazy couple weeks, and the last couple days have packed quite a punch. I've been thinking about leadership and spiritually deep subjects from time to time, but not as much as I had been lately. I've been so busy that by the time I get home and *ahem* have time to think, I'm too tired. All I can think is: food, something-to-dull-my-brain-from-thinking-about-work (tv/movie), read, and sleep. Sometimes that doesn't work, and I don't sleep enough and thus, have a rough day the next day. Today was especially tough. So, I came home more exhausted than ever, and ate some junk and spent time watching a kids' movie to cheer me up (ironically, I watched Disney's UP). Then I got a tiny wind and decided to make a few notes about the things that have been on my mind: interactions and connections with others, and how they affect leadership.

This thought from my friend Mike (see my last post for more) is very true: "...don’t network just for the sake of 'building a huge number of connections.' Provide value, add to the conversation, help people without expecting anything in return." I don't necessarily agree with everything Mike said, but there was a lot of good in there. Too many people don't think about "connections" this way -- they just like the numbers. "I have X,000 friends on Facebook, myspace, Twitter, etc." It doesn't seem to matter how often they really connect with those people, or how sincere or impactful those connections are at any given point in time. The number is what matters most. Sometimes it's the only thing that does. And that can't be good - for anyone. And, it doesn't matter that you "get something" back. It's about doing, not getting. Don't just be there to be there. Do something. Make a difference - even if it's small. Our culture isn't inclined to think that way enough, if at all.

Then today, I had some negative interactions. Most of them originated from others. The ones that came from me were (mostly) in response to those that were directed at/to me. I am fairly confident that these folks did not intend to act negatively toward me; but they did. They caused a busy day to become more stressful, to overload my already slow mind, to cause me some emotional upheaval. Now, I will take ownership of my reactions. I know that I am a very emotional person, even for a girl; always have been. It is something I strive to keep in check every day.

However, when stressers and such interfere with whatever it is I am trying to accomplish/think about/do, I lose some of the control over my emotional reins because I have to divert that energy into roping in that other situation. Somehow, someday, I hope to overcome this problem better than I have thus far, and to be able to keep those emotions in check more easily, and let them out only when necessary. [I feel the need to note that I truly believe God has created me in a way that causes me to have emotions that are more affected by outside situations/people/stimuli than most other people. When I see someone hurting, I often hurt with them, and don't always understand why. When I feel like I haven't done my best, or have let someone down, I have an emotional response. It isn't very pleasant. (Yes, some of that is a self-esteem problem, we'll tackle that another day.) Often, this helps me sympathize with people in a way others may not be able to do. Other times, it causes issues with my emotional stability.] But when my emotions "act up" there isn't much I can do to hold them in check, hard as I try. This can mean I'm exceedingly giddy and happy, or very depressed and feeling useless and unwanted. How can leaders be missing what needs to be watched for, so that people who follow them (those who are like me, and those who are not) do not end up in these jumbled, crazy states of mind?

Leaders must always be aware of the impact their interactions have on those they lead. That means the interactions you have face-to-face, email-to-email, voicemail-to-voicemail, or even through another person. The impact of interactions (and the importance of awareness) is often lost when you lose the face-to-face. I believe it is even harder when it is through that third party person. There is still human interaction going on (and not through a technology medium) but it is just as severely disconnected for the leader (maybe even more so), and can often result in reactions by the follower and the "go-between" that can be extremely unpleasant for both. Thus, it is vitally important to be aware of the impact you are having through any interaction - personal or impersonal - with a follower. I realize this sounds like a big obligation, and it is. Leadership is an immense responsibility that should not be taken lightly. But it is also a great blessing if done properly - for both the leader and the follower(s).

The way you interact (or don't interact) with others is extremely important - whether you're a leader or not. It says a ton about who you are, how you work, how you think, what's important to you, who's important to you. It affects the way the people around you feel about many things - the situation, the environment you're in, you, even themselves. People who understand the importance of interactions and the tenor of them are often people in leadership (not always, mind you, but often). Think about it; how do you interact throughout each day?

What does leadership look like?

I've been reading a few blogs on leadership for awhile, and today came across a new one - about the decisions and actions we must pay attention to when living our life, so it doesn't just become something we float through. It is written by my friend Mike and today, browsing through past posts, I noticed this line: "Are you 'spending' your time or 'investing' your time?" What a concept. I'm pretty sure I've heard something like it before, but it blew me away.

Then, when looking back over another site I frequent, I came across this post again. The focus of this post is one that hits me deeply. How many kids have I met/interacted with/talked to and never even thought about this? For that matter, how many people in general? There are many times I remember feeling like I was that kid/person. I strive to do what's right, and sometimes, that means you are left to yourself, while those who struggle are given more attention.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mean to sound like I need or want more attention. I am not one who enjoys being center of attention. Trust me. I can do it sometimes, when absolutely necessary, or when I can lose myself in the worship, or the character, etc. Otherwise, count me out from the spotlight.

These ideas got me thinking about true leadership. What does it really look like? A leader must be confident, but must also be willing to admit to and show that s/he is working on getting better in areas of weakness. A leader must be decisive, but must also be willing to listen to the ideas and advice of those around him/her. A leader must take action, but also must be willing to wait and weigh their decisions before they act. A leader must make sure that everything is being done well and on time, but must also be willing to trust those who are following them to be able to do those things without detailed supervision. There are many aspects of leadership that seem contradictory, at least at first glance.

What often is seen is that the person calling him/herself a leader is often strong in some areas and very weak in others (as are we all). The problem comes when that person is not willing to take criticism or figure out how to adapt and grow. When s/he thinks s/he has it all under control. When s/he thinks there is no need to review his/her actions or revisit how s/he does things in his/her leadership position.

Worse, there are many people who don't even realize they are in a leadership position. They think they are just being helpful, and whatever else might happen, they do not have the responsibility that comes with being a leader. A leader is someone others look up to. When something goes wrong, or needs clarification, or is getting frustrating, the leader is the one they come to - and s/he must be ready to address whatever issue they are bringing.

What are characteristics, qualities, or actions you would include in a description of true leadership?

Leadership

I have lately found myself facinated with leadership. I am not sure when it started; perhaps around the time I realized I am something of a leader at my church. (That feels very strange to say, because I really do not feel like that most days. I feel like little-ol'-me just doing what God has asked me to do. Then again, maybe that is part of what a leader should be.) Since discovering this, I have been in meetings, seminars, classes, etc., that have at least touched on leadership. I have read books, been recomended speakers to listen to, had conversations, etc.

As you can see from the sidebar, there are a few blogs I read fairly regularly. I don't read them everyday, or even every week. However, these are people who's storytelling abilities are fantastic, who's insights are amazing, who's opinions are valid, and/or who's experiences and advice are worth listening to. One of them (The Hope of 'What If?') is soley about leadership and it's different aspects. Lately several of them have touched on leadership in one way or another.

These are a few leadership posts that I came across in the last week or so that really challenged me and/or inspired me. The guys who write them are leaders. Their leadership is demonstrated different ways (from each other as well as depending on circumstance. They ask tough questions. They point out what they have learned to encourage others along the way. The list could be longer if I had more time to sift through them all, but here you go:

1. Bottom Leaders
2. Encouragement
3. Habit
4. Questions to Help Me Avoid the Real Issue

I encourage you to check them out.