There is a direct correlation between developed leaders and highly developed churches. When I find a church that is diseased, it is often traced to an under-developed leader who is positionally in office but functionally absent in crucial areas. Here are a few ways to end the famine of leadership in today’s church.
1. Build your base of knowledge.
Each budding leader must consistently increase his or her base of knowledge, and that is primarily done through reading. Learning from a book written by a proven leader is the most inexpensive way to increase your knowledge base.
2. Build an inspiration package.
You alone are responsible to present an inspired, knowledgeable, energetic, and healthy “you” to every situation. One way I do this is to be around people who inspire me. They bring out the best in me by challenging my thinking. Identify who these people are, and increase the priority of spending time with them. It will do you more good than a semester in seminary.
3. Develop a habit of daily devotions and journaling.
My best friends are in the Bible and so are yours. Develop a habit of meeting with these people that the Holy Spirit has designed to be your leadership tutors.
There was a time a few years ago when I felt a numbness toward ministry, but each morning, my habit of reading the Bible and journaling in my Life Journal continued. Then Jeremiah 17:16 challenged me: “But as for me, I have not hurried away from being a shepherd after You.” I heard his words, and my heart changed. In the midst of storm where my personal boat had capsized, Jeremiah threw me a plank to grab. If I had not built a habit of daily devotions, my life today would have drastically changed.
4. Allow enough time for thinking.
Finally, the more responsibility you carry, the more solitude you’ll need. At first, your involvement with activities will be great, and you will feed off the excitement. But as time goes on, especially where success is evident, you will require more time for thinking and planning.
