I’m going to just jump in feet first in the deep end. If you can’t lead from a folding chair then you won’t be able to lead in the leather desk chair with a gold name plate on the door. There I said it. Being a leader isn’t about having a title in front of your name. Leading people is about relationships.

There was a time I felt I had to have a title in order to get people to take me seriously. However, I was just fooling myself. The title wasn’t for other people. It was for me. I was young and thought just that little bit of a title actually made me a leader. That title makes me no more of a leader than holding a Pom Pom makes me a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. It’s easy for us to understand the second one. However, when it comes to leadership we treat it differently. The Bible says in Luke 16:20 “He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.”

God doesn’t wait to give you leadership opportunities and passion until you have a title. If we can’t pick up a piece of trash without a title, then we won’t with a title. If we can’t love people without a title, yup you guessed it, we won’t be able to with a title. The title doesn’t change us for the better. Sometimes it has the direct opposite.

So how do you lead without a title. It’s so simple to say or type but more difficult to actually carry out. You lead without a title just as you would with one. If it makes you feel better about yourself, give yourself a title. Obviously don’t print business cards, but you get the point. Lead like you need to be led. Love God, love people, and take action. First and foremost, in order to lead in a ministry setting we have to love God. We have to have a true relationship with Him. We have to know that He is guiding our steps. How do we do that? Spend time with Him. Next, we have to love people. If you love God then love for people comes next. Notice I didn’t say easily. Loving people makes us uncomfortable sometimes. Loving people requires a part of ourselves that some of us just find difficult to give. Trust me, I understand. Sister Susie who gripes because the bulletin paper is yellow not white, that someone left a scrap of paper on the pew, or heaven forbid someone brought a cracker in the sanctuary for their child to keep them quiet is hard to love but putting a title in front of your name isn’t going to fix that. Finally, take action. We can’t sit around and wait on that glorified leadership opportunity to arrive. Think of it this way. If I want to run a marathon, which I definitely do not but I’m going to use that for this blog. If I wanted to become a runner, I need to start small and condition myself, right? What makes us think that leadership is any different? Start small. Start by leading the church or organization right where you are. If there are no door greeters, become one. If there is no one doing social media, do it. If there is no one cleaning the toilets, do it!

Are you ready to become a leader? Do it! It doesn’t matter if you are a man, woman, child, young, or old. You can lead right where you are if you will accept the challenge.

Love you big,

The Unorthodox Voice