Take the Lead

"You say let it go. You say let it go! You say life is waiting for the ones who lose control. You say You will be everything I need. You say if I lose my life, it's then I'll find my soul. You say let it go!" These lyrics from Tenth Avenue North's song "Let It Go" provide great insight into putting God in control and letting Him lead you so that you can effectively lead others. Scripture backs up what the band says in this song.

"Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall." (Psalm 55:22, NIV)
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5-6, NIV)
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.'" (Jeremiah 29:11-13, NIV)
"Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone would come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me will find it.'" (Matthew 16:24-25, NIV)

There is also a poem, which I have quoted before, that goes along with this. To my knowledge, the author is unknown.

As children bring there broken toys with tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God because He was my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help with ways that were my own.
At last, I snatched them back and cried, "How can You be so slow?"
"My child," He said, "What could I do? You never did let go."

You must be able to let go and give God control before you can lead others. God is the ultimate Leader. Follow Him, and then lead others, in that order.

The beginning verse that Maxwell presents for tonight is Judges 4:8, which says: "Barak said to her, 'If you go with me, I will go; but if you don't go with me, I won't go.'" (NIV) Deborah had gained a following, because she showed positive leadership qualities. She didn't force others to follow her. Her followers were such by choice, because they saw potential in her.

Maxwell notes the following two things: "In general, followers seek those who are better leaders than themselves," and, "The more leadership ability someone has, the more quickly they recognize leadership--or its lack--in others."  In order to be a leader, one should have followers. This points to the first statement. Then, leaders should recognize whether or not their followers are fit for the task at hand, so that they can build a good team to accomplish what is needed, and go even further than that.

Leaders "naturally" attract followers. Take the example of elections. To hold an office, one must be elected. Tod o that, the individual has to attract followers, and thus votes.

To create an effective team, you need to attract the right followers, those who have good intentions and, as a group, varied talents. Gather those who are able to perform well in areas you lack. In doing so, you can create a strong team.

Maxwell's reflection question for tonight is: "How do you take the lead?"

When I see a need, I form a plan and gather support through effective communication. Communication is key. You can have a great plan, but if you cannot provide a vivid picture to your followers, how is your team going to execute it? If you lack effective communication, don't worry. It is a skill that can be refined.

First and foremost, let go of things that hold you back or that are out of your control. Do not worry. Give your cares and concerns to God because He cares for you (see 1 Peter 5:7). Then, let Him take control. From there, you can lead your followers, knowing that the One leading you cannot and will not fail you!

God bless you!