Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen. ~Philemon 23-25
A person’s ability to make things happen in and through others depends entirely on their ability to lead them. Without leadership, there is no teamwork, and people go their own way. If your dream is big and will require the teamwork of a lot of people, then any potential leaders you select to go with you on the journey will need to be people of influence. After all, that’s what leadership is – influence. And when you think about it, all leaders have two things in common: They’re going somewhere, and they’re able to persuade others to go with them.
As you look at the people around you, consider the following:
- Who influences them?
- Whom do they influence?
- Is their influence increasing or decreasing?
To be a good judge of potential leaders, don’t just see the person-see all the people who that person influences. The greater the influence, the greater the leadership potential and the ability to get others to work with you to accomplish your dream.
What Kind of Leader are You?
But whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave. Matthew 20:26-27
The Old Testament uses several Hebrew terms that we translate as “servant,” each one presenting a slightly different picture of the heart of a servant:
- Ebed – A love-slave or servant. This term describes someone who is at the complete disposal of another (Deuteronomy 15:12-18). Likewise, leaders must be at the disposal of the Lord and their people.
- Abad – One who gives up personal rights in order to work in the fields or tabernacle (Numbers 18:7, 23). In a similar way, leaders must sacrifice their rights and stay surrendered to the cause.
- Sakyir – A hired servant who works for pay, by day or by year (Leviticus 25:39-42). A leader must avoid the perspective of a “paid professional” and flee when times get hard.
- Sharath – Someone who will perform menial tasks to accomplish an overall goal (Exodus 28:35-43). Leaders must serve the mission.
Leaders must never forget that God calls them to serve. If our Lord could wash His disciples’ feet as a “sharath”, then how could we frown at becoming an “ebed”?
[tags]Leadership,John C Maxwell, Maxwell Leadership Bible, God, Leader ship, Measuring Influence , What Kind of Leader are You, Maxwell Leadership, Leading People, Make Change, Personal Development, Leading Insight, teamwork, persuade me, dream big[/tags]
