Irene Strong; unsplash.com
Like it or not, you are a leader. Some people have a deep desire to be a leader and others are simply thrown into it. And right now, you may feel like you've definitely been thrown into it.
The problem is that few churches actually offer any advice on how you should go about leading. If your church has trained you in how to be a leader, consider yourself very fortunate. For most tech directors, they are just given a task, a bunch of equipment, and not much guidance beyond that.
In the last few decades there have been enough leadership books written to fill an entire library. However, many of those books neglect perhaps the most powerful leadership principle there is. In fact, I think it is safe to say that if you just implement this one principle you are well on your way to becoming a great leader. It's also one of the only leadership principles that Jesus specifically taught us.
When I was young I assumed that leadership was all about telling people what to do, bossing them around. Then I realized that it is more about having a vision and herding followers together to accomplish that vision. However, there is something that is more basic and fundamental than all of these, and I believe it is critical to successful leadership.
What is it? It's being a servant.
Dichotomy or directive?
So, both a servant and a leader? For a moment, let's put aside any preconceived notions that you may have about being a servant and listen to the words of Jesus.
"Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” - Matthew 20:26 & 28
So again, do you want to lead, or have you be unwittingly thrust into a leadership position? Whether you know a lot about leadership or nothing at all, this one principle rises above the rest.
Instead of being so concerned about how to motivate people to follow you and help you with your vision, be a servant to them. When you come across an individual is your first reaction to try to find a way to serve that person?
Instead of being so concerned about how to motivate people to follow you and help you with your vision, be a servant to them.
If the worship pastor or senior pastor asks you for something are you inclined to resist their request or do you try to serve them in any way you can?
How about those who serve with you in your area of ministry? Are they there to serve you or are you there to serve them? This doesn't mean that you just go along with whatever they suggest. You still need to bring vision and influence to the table, but those things are most effective when you have been demonstrating the heart of a servant towards those that you lead.
Something that often gets in the way of our willingness to serve is simply feeling like we don't have enough time. Or maybe with everything going on in the world we're feeling like we're just in over our heads.
How would your situation be different if your only responsibility on Sunday morning was to serve your team? How would your volunteers respond if you continually set them up for success and let them take credit for doing a job well done? This week as you go through your daily routines, whenever you come across another human, ask the Lord to show you how you can serve them.
