Leadership GPS: Roadmap to Become a Leader for Life. Janice Witt Smith
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you thought was the journey upon which you were embarking, your GPS is replying, “Recalculating.” What used to be shown on your screen no longer shows up in the same way. You are getting shorter sound bytes of information, and you cannot see the total picture. All you know is that you have been told to move forward, and further directions would be provided at the appropriate time. Your only other instruction is to empty your bowel and bladder – get rid of the weights that so easily beset you (Get the weight analogy from the other class) – fill up your tank with the Word of God, fasten your seatbelts, and listen to the direction and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Things you took for granted would always be there are not – the boss you were cultivating for a future opportunity has been transferred. The landscape is different, the road has more construction and steeper curves.
Gabrielle’s Gem – Gabrielle is only 2 ½ years old. Her mobility is limited to the area we have defined for her to travel within. She can run fast, for a two year old, but she is not faster than her brother, her parents, or her grandparents. We have to clear the road for her, to protect her from things that she does not know yet are dangerous. There is a pond behind the house where her family lives. Gabrielle loves to look at the water. She has been “warned” that the water can be dangerous for her and she is not to be at the water unaccompanied. The reality is that Gabrielle is NEVER left outside by herself. With her natural curiosity, she could well end up on the bank of the pond with no intention of going in. However, because she does not understand the impact of water, grass and mud on the edge of the embankment, she could easily wind up in the pond. If no one is with her, she could drown in even a couple of inches of water. As parents and grandparents, it is our responsibility to ensure that she is in a safe zone and has an adult with her at all times.
As Christian sojourners, we are never alone. God promised never to leave us nor to forsake us (Joshua 1:1-8). Even in the midst of our darkest moments, God is with us. His angels surround us to protect us and to work on our behalf. Just because we cannot see them does not mean that they are not there. What a comfort it is to know that there is no place where the Lord does not accompany us. As we seek His face and ask for His guidance, we become better leaders and better people.
When thinking about our continuing development as leaders for life, it is important that we first examine our attitude toward lifelong learning about our craft (occupation, talent, ability) and lifelong learning about God through the Word of God. There are two examples and two key words that I want to share with you concerning this. As we learn more about Him and share what we have learned with others, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is spread throughout the world. This is the mission that Jesus gave to all of us – “The Great Commission.”
My first example is from Acts 19:1-7. Apostle Paul was in Ephesus, where he met twelve of John the Baptist’s disciples. Paul asked them if they had received the Holy Spirit when (or since) they believed. They replied that they had not heard about whether there was a Holy Spirit. As you will recall, John the Baptist died before the Holy Spirit was released. He (John) had taught them all that he knew, but he just didn’t know it all. God sent Paul to teach them “the rest of the story.” They had had an excellent foundation, but one was sent to them to help them get to the next spiritual level. Paul baptized them in the name of the Lord Jesus and laid hands on them. The Holy Spirit came upon them, and they then spoke with tongues and prophesied. As individuals, we cannot possibly know everything that there is to know. Often we are called upon to make decisions when there is not full information. We have to move forward with partial knowledge, trusting in the Holy Spirit to provide us with spiritual insight and wisdom.
| There may be some people who work with you who are better at leading than you are. What can you learn from them and their success? You may also learn from poor leaders the things that you do not want to do as a leader. Both perspectives can be very helpful as you develop your own skills and abilities. What kinds of feedback are you getting from your direct reports and ministry partners? While “different” is not always better, it sometimes can be. Can you do “different” in a way that makes you a better leader? |
Acts 18:24-28 provides the second example in which we learn about the great orator, Apollos. When Priscilla and Aquila (two of Paul’s disciples) experienced Apollos’ preaching, they noticed that he did not have the fullness of the information that Paul had shared with them. They privately went to him and tutored him on the things that Paul, through Christ, had taught them. Apollos had preached well, with great technique, power and influence, but he didn’t have all of the message before. Aquila and Priscilla corrected him in love and shared freely what they had learned. What power he had after he knew the rest of the story!
Application
Many in our companies, nonprofits, ministries, congregations, and lives who are within our sphere of influence, have great zeal about the Word of God and how to apply It. Unfortunately, they may have incomplete knowledge or understanding. We have to be intentional in helping people to learn and understand what God’s Word means in the spiritual and natural realms. They don’t pick it up through osmosis. We have to be transparent and share some things that might not show us in the best light. We want others to be free of every type of bondage, as we ourselves desire to be free.
Vocabulary Builders
The first of the two words I would like to share with you is “decathlon.” You have to be multitalented, multifaceted, and multi-prepared for what is needed in kingdom building. We are to steadily and forcefully move toward the prize of the upward calling through Christ Jesus (Phil. 3:13). The Word says that we are to press – constant pressure, forward momentum. We do not want to run the race in a helter-skelter fashion – here, there, and everywhere, but in a focused manner (Heb. 12:1; Eccl. 9:11). We want to be well-trained spiritual athletes well-versed in the Word of God. Your spiritual muscles need to be developed for both the spring and the long-distance races. You have trained well in other arenas, and you have developed and honed skills and gained an appreciation for God’s Word. Whatever your occupation, we are all called to be a minister of the Gospel and to share God’s Word with others. We need wisdom now more than ever before. God promises that if any man lacks wisdom, let Him ask the Father who will give it to him liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him (James 1:5).
The second word is “marinate.” God wants you so saturated with His Word, in His Word, His Word in you, that every layer and facet of you wreaks of His flavor. This is what He savors. That’s what you get as you continue your study of the Bible on a daily basis. Think of yourself as an expensive cut of beef – If you are cooked too fast, you are done on the outside, but not on the inside. Spiritually, you look like a devoted Christian on the outside, but at the slightest provocation, the lack of “doneness” of your inside becomes evident. If you are cooked too slowly, you are dried out on the inside and nothing’s apparent in your walk. If you are seared on the grille, you have an outward appearance of preparation, but an inner rawness. God wants you done through and through – He wants to marinade you with His flavor, His savor, His juice (the Holy Spirit), He wants to educate and train you in a way you can hardly envision. He wants to and is prepared to do a new thing in and through you. He wants you to do the same with and for others. We have to learn new ways of dealing with our environment. The new methods are still based on the Word of God and at a deeper level than ever before. To be successful in every arena of our lives, we have to be educated – are you willing to earn a PhD in God’s Word?
In 2 Timothy 2:15, we are exhorted: “Be diligent to show yourself approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.” We have to seek knowledge about God’s Word every day of our lives. We cannot allow the enemy to corrupt our minds, delay our destiny, obscure our effectiveness or ruin our testimony. We must start when our children are young with simple scripture memorization and discussion. Then we continue through Sunday School and the Sunday sermon; through Christian youth groups and home-based Bible studies; through church-based Bible Studies and individual study; through BSF and precept by precept Bible Studies; through cell groups and WOW and Eagles’ Nest, and Leadership School, and conferences and conventions, and televangelists and audiotapes and books and movies. In every place where we