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Musings on Leadership #1



The other day I was reading the blog of a good friend, I was very interested in what he had to say on his pondering of the last 40 years. At the end of his last three blogs he presented some of his conclusions to the musings and the congealed thoughts that have stayed with him and to which he has given a place in his life and ministry. It challenged me to look back on the last few decades and present my musings and conclusions in regards to Leadership and how they have shaped my own particular ministry:

                God is not bound by border posts and manmade boundaries. I very quickly learned that it                 didn't matter where I was in the world, God was well able to fulfil  his will for my life. 

                Jesus would rather work with those who have a servant heart than those who are placed on                 pedestals of power. Working for Jesus is our highest calling. He is top of the pile not me.

                I cannot please everybody all of the time. However if I am consistent in letting my                                Yes be Yes and my No be No then most people will be satisfied.

                Not everybody is comfortable with who I am and what I represent. But if I love everyone,                 don't hold a grudge (because life is too short) and keep silent before my accusers and just                 be me, then God is always vindicated.

                Any mess I find myself in is down to the choices I have made. No one else is to blame. God                 is always willing to help me out if I am willing to be teachable and to learn the hard way.

                Complacency is the biggest threat to change, if I cannot convince those around me that                change is necessary then I can achieve very little as a leader.

                I always celebrate the victories no matter how small. I may have only won a small battle                    but I celebrate as though I have won the war. One soul for Jesus is always a major 
                never a minor victory. People are what matter.

               Management is the domain of highly efficient civil servants. But a leader is the one who                casts vision, shapes culture and instils values, not just for the here and now but for the                future.

These are by no means all the lessons from a life in leadership but they are some of the most fundamental. I will continue to ponder and to muse and to offer up further congealed thoughts in the future. For now there is a lot more to read between the lines. To me leadership is about doing real life together.
               

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