THRIVE Leadership

Most people will never find themselves leading at the top of the organization they serve in (business, Church, community, etc…). The top is reserved for a few whom God places there. Most people in life will spend their lives and careers leading from somewhere in the middle. John Maxwell describes this as the 360 Degree Leader – a person who leads relationships with a Senior leader, peers, and people serving under them on an organizational chart.

For the leader in the middle, a proper approach to authority is a life or death issue. If God places everyone in authority (Romans 13), then the way we relate to the authority in our lives is an important issue. This is the place of greatest protection and blessing by God...and unfortunately, its the place where many support leaders experience their worst enemy: themselves.

The temptation for us, as support leaders, is that we so easily forget this, and can be drawn to a place of self-interest….a place of “ME-first.” The Bible refers to this as … REBELLION.

When we use words like Rebellion, many people would excuse themselves from this word… saying, “This doesn’t apply to my, I’m loyal…I work hard…I always do what I’m asked to do.” But, before you are too quick to turn me off, lets talk about what rebellion looks like (even in it's smallest form):

Have you ever….
1. Shared your perspective with a team member or volunteer that would show your distance from your Pastor and his vision?
• People allow themselves to show how “they would do it differently” in an attempt to win support from distant team members, even if it means showing a distance between themselves and their Pastor
2. Attempted to sabotage another team member
• This can happen even slightly, by showing a lack of support, or speaking out against them. Me-first choices promote your success at the expense of their failure
3. Taken advice or counsel from your Pastor lightly? Or disregarded it as unimportant?
4. Sabotaged or attacked a vision presented from your Senior Leader?
5. Entertained complaints from Church members, volunteers, or other staff members about what the Pastor or leaders should be doing differently?

…if you have, you have seen the face of rebellion. The question is…how did you respond to its momentary presence in your life? Did it become a companion on your journey, or a momentary thought to overcome?


(We'll continue this conversation next time...)