Lead On

30 reflections to refresh and re-energize your leadership

James Lawrence

• Publisher: Monarch Books
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN: 9780857218650
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Ministry

Leaders know how easy it is in the midst of opportunities, demands and expectations to focus on the activity of leadership and not to spend much time on reflecting on who we are, what we are doing and how to grow as a leader. Taking stock is a crucial step in establishing where we are and what we need to give our attention, so that we are not simply swayed by the clamouring demands around us. As we take stock, our leadership is strengthened, helping us to be effective and to be revitalized, whatever our leadership context. In Lead On, James Lawrence takes leaders on a on a journey of reflection, taking stock of their leadership and seeking ways to move forward and grow. Through thirty reflections, grouped by themes and accompanied by short articles, leaders are given a structured process to work through, considering both the inner and outer life. Each reflection is accompanied by questions to explore and suggested resources to follow up, with a process of prayer and review at the end of each section. Drawing on a wealth of experience and resources from CPAS, this is an approachable yet comprehensive resource for Christian leaders in any sphere.

Lord, you have placed me as a leader.

You see how unfit I am to administer this great and difficult role.

Had I previously been without help from you, I would have ruined everything long ago.

Therefore I call upon you.

I gladly offer my mouth and heart in your service.

I would lead the people and I would continue to learn.

To this end I shall meditate diligently on your word.

Use me, dear Lord, as your instrument.

Only do not forsake me; for if I were to continue alone, I would quickly ruin everything.

Amen.

Luther (adapted)

1. ONE THING

Engage

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Imagine. You can be granted one thing. Anything, but only one thing. Sorry, three wishes are out, just one. One thing. What would it be?

I write this in the middle of Lent, a season for reflection and repentance. It is a great opportunity as leaders, not simply to make the annual fast from chocolate or alcohol or whatever it is you normally give up for Lent, but to also reflect on where our deepest heart’s desires lie.

One thing.

Those in leadership always have many pressing things they would love to see sorted. Right now, with a few months to go, we have no venue for three five-day residentials. The centre we’ve been using for the last fifteen years announced it was closing last Friday. That is one thing I’d love to see sorted.

However, important and urgent as many of these things are, Psalm 27 offers us a helpful reminder of one thing: “One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.”

One thing.

It wasn’t what instinctively came to my mind. Yet… above everything else Christian leaders are called to remain connected to God, to grow in knowledge of who he is, to walk humbly and closely with him, to desire him above everything else. For the first priority of every Christian leader is not to be a leader, but to be a follower, a disciple of Jesus Christ.

Henri Nouwen summed it up well: “It is not enough for the leaders of the future to be moral people, well trained, eager to help their fellow human beings, and able to respond creatively to the burning issues of their time. All of that is very valuable and important, but it is not the heart of Christian leadership. The central question is, ‘Are the leaders of the future truly women and men of God, people with an ardent desire to dwell in God’s presence, to listen to God’s voice, to look at God’s beauty, to touch God’s incarnate word and to taste fully God’s goodness?’”

One thing.

Reflect

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What draws you away from seeking God above all things? Why? What could redress this? What would seeking God above all things look like for you?

Explore

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• In the Name of Jesus, Henri Nouwen (DLT). A short, profound reflection on Christian leadership that beautifully challenges some common assumptions.

• Take your journal or a piece of paper and write “one thing” in capitals, fairly large, in the middle and circle it. Over the next week or so write around the circle the things that help you to keep focused on the “beauty of the Lord” in the midst of everyday life.

2. STAYING FRESH

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I am just back from a leaders’ retreat where I’ve been speaking on the theme of staying fresh. It got me thinking. What help us to stay fresh and keep energized over the long haul of leadership?

There are many ways to answer this question, but I want to offer two suggestions that can help, the first of which we’ll explore here and the other in the next reflection.

KNOW WHAT DRAINS YOU

In any role there is always a certain amount of stuff that we have to do that drains us. It is a great help to know specifically what it is that drains or hampers us from staying fresh. Obviously it will vary from leader to leader. For some it will be administration, for others ongoing people situations, for others certain meetings, for others conflict, and so on.

Make a list of such things. Take time to be comprehensive and specific – don’t put “meetings” down, but the specific meetings. As you do this, you may also like to make a list of what brings you energy in your role (more on this in the next reflection).

Reflect on the list of things that drain you and see if you can divide them into three categories:

• Which do you simply need to recognize are part of the role and need to be done by you (and if you can find a way to make them a bit more fun or to do them in a more effective way all the better)?

• Which can you hand over to others who would be energized by them (sometimes this isn’t possible because there is no one, but often there is)?

• Which could you actually stop doing because they aren’t essential at this time?

Then take action on one of the items from the list; preferably one that is both relatively easy to do and brings a sense of relief. It is unrealistic to think we can eliminate all the things that drain us, but it is wise to know what they are, which category they fall into, and to balance them with the things that sustain us.

Reflect

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What does it feel like when you are drained? What are the symptoms you can spot as early warning signs?

Explore

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• For a more nuanced way of reflecting on what drains and energizes you take a look at this blog post on managing your energy: http://careynieuwhof.com/how-managing-your-energy-can-make-you-a-far-more-effective-leader/

• Rest – a reflection on Psalm 23. Miriam Swaffield reflects on the place of rest in our busy world in this brief video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBXQgR0y8U4

• How to Survive and Thrive as a Church Leader, Nick Cuthbert (Monarch). Short pithy chapters offer practical advice on keeping going for the long haul as a leader.

3. STAYING FAITHFUL

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Staying fresh and faithful rarely just happens. It requires some intentionality on our part. It helps not only to know what drains us, but also what sustains us.

KNOW WHAT SUSTAINS YOU

This looks different for different leaders, but some interesting research by Leslie Francis shows two common factors that help people keep going:

• Maintaining a healthy pattern of personal devotion – there is no set template for this, but we all know the danger of spending less and less time with God as we do more and more for him. Let’s not get into a guilt trip, but why not take a moment to review your regular pattern of personal devotion? What one thing could you do to bring some new life into it?

• Submitting our lives to others – many leaders speak of isolation and loneliness. Ensuring that we have someone we are travelling with, giving an account to, who speaks into our lives, is known to help people stay fresh and faithful. Who might this be for you? A mentor, spiritual director, work consultant, friend, peer group?

Alongside these, I would also add:

• Build on your strengths – some spot strengths quite easily. They are the things that strengthen us, bring energy to us, the things we are wired to do. If you don’t find it easy to know your strengths you may like to take Strengthsfinder (see Explore below). Sometimes we spend less time on developing these things because we can normally do them reasonably well without too much effort, but actually growth and development occur best when we focus on what we are good at, what energizes us.

• Remembering our humanity – Eugene Peterson writes “The problem for most church leaders isn’t that they forget they are Christian, it is that they forget their humanity.” Our humanity includes t...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction
• Section 1: The inner life – resourcing your leadership
• Section 2: The outer life – back to basics
• Section 3: The inner life – building resilience
• Section 4: The outer life – the leader's approach
• Section 5: The inner life – establishing rhythms
• Section 6: The outer life – pressing ahead
• Taking stock – the next step
• Additional aids for taking stock
• Bibliography
• Blogs