Take Care When Leading
You may not always ask for the power, but you need to tread carefully when there are people following you.
Reference: v.8 Is that why you have all conspired against me? No one tells me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is concerned about me or tells me that my son has incited my servant to lie in wait for me, as he does today.” (TNIV Bible)
Explore: Leadership is a tricky business. Whether you are the leader of your friendship group or the CEO of a major corporation, there is a great deal riding on your leadership.
As the saying goes, ‘With great power comes great responsibility’ and every leader has a certain amount of power. You may not always ask for the power, at times it is thrust upon you, but either way you need to tread carefully when there are people following you.
Some people lead with an iron fist while others try to be your best buddy. There are pros and cons to both ways.
I think, that no matter how you lead, you need to care about those who follow you. This care can play out in many different ways, but if you care for the people then they will respect you in return.
Application: By the time King Saul had his anointing taken from him by God, he had lost care for the people he was leading. He was more interested in killing David – his most loyal follower – than caring for those still under his power.
This was a marked difference between David and Saul. Even though David’s followers were quite a motley crew, he cared for their wellbeing and, thus, they gave him their full respect.
Just because David cared did not mean that he was soft or fragile. He was still strong, courageous and a visionary for what was best for his people.
You don’t have to lose power to show care, in fact, it probably enhances your influence.
Prayer: Lord, may we lead with care and strength, combined with Your divine wisdom. Amen.
What is your leadership advice?
This article was written by Linda Bailey
Linda started theological studies in 1999 in Australia. After working for ten years in various church ministries, she now works as the breakfast producer at 89.9 LightFM - the Christian radio station in Melbourne, Australia. She writes blogs every day about passages she is currently reading in the Bible. Follow her on Google Plus +Linda Bailey or Facebook by clicking the like button on the right of this page.
1 comment:
Great reminder. This is what I am sharing with sports coaches. It is so easy for a coach to preach to athletes about how they need to keep their emotions in check while the coach is acting emotionally haywire. Furthermore, treating those under our care with love and respect will increase productivity and joy for the journey.