A college professor recently met with me to gather information. He wanted to shape a curriculum that would maximize the appeal of his school’s students to potential employers. We discussed a broad range of topics, including a long look at their marketing department. “What sales courses do you offer?” I asked.
“We don’t have any,” he replied. “Why?”
“You do a disservice to students when you only offer marketing,” I said, “because rarely do companies hire a college grad in their marketing department. Most firms want sales experience before marketing.”
“Students aren’t going to take a sales course.”
“The smart ones will,” I said. “It will help them succeed early, and lead them straight into marketing.”
Consider how ill-prepared most people truly are when they receive their first leadership position. Sure, they think leading will come naturally and that a few dabbles here and there qualify them for the challenge. While role-specific training and orientation help, there are (at least) four broad truths that will help new leaders succeed early.
Truth 1: Actually, you don’t know much about how to lead. In fact, you know less than you could ever imagine. A great leader learns, not arrives. Place faith in this truth: there is no substitute for experience when leading other adults. Look for someone who will teach you from their own experience, not from clever sayings read in books, heard at conferences, or tweeted. At the same time, accept that you’re fine just the way God made you. As you settle into that comfort, do so with a posture that you have a long way to go.
Truth 2: Cherish the opportunity to lead. That means, among many things, love your team. That word—love—is big and vast, although not soft and sappy. Think “parent.” You make decisions for their good. You look for opportunities for them to grow and flourish and become their best. Keep in mind, too, that a mom or dad never has to remind the kids that he or she is the parent. Look up what the Bible says about “lording over.” A new leader who shows love for the team and overtly appreciates the opportunity his or her role brings is a person the team will respect, love in return, and work hard for.
Truth 3: Always remain eager to change. A leader unwilling to step into the uncertainty that accompanies change, and instead feels satisfied with the status quo, is actually a manager and not a leader. That’s fine; every organization needs managers to run well. As a leader, avoid making changes just because you can—or to show you made a difference during your tenure. Leaving a “handprint” only matters at crime scenes. Focus on leaving the legacy created by the final truth.
Truth 4: Display unyielding commitment and integrity. Remain steadfast for your people and for your organization in every circumstance and conversation. If you find yourself in a situation where you must choose between serving the people you lead and moving the mission forward, make the heroic choice to instead change the situation. These two should never oppose one another. As for integrity, remember that people must achieve it over time and yet can ruin it in a brief moment—and typically over little issues. So operate as if someone records every decision and every minute of your day and then plays all of it in front of others. To avoid going completely crazy with that thought, declare moments of down time so you can regroup your thinking throughout the day. For even greater health, remain committed to your own heart and soul through building time into your calendar to rest and replenish and reflect on these four truths.
David Staal, senior editor for Building Church Leaders and a mentor to a second grader, serves as the president of Kids Hope USA, a national non-profit organization that partners local churches with elementary schools to provide mentors for at-risk students. He also chairs the advisory board for a nearby college and served ten years in leadership for a local church. David is the author of Lessons Kids Need to Learn (Zondervan, 2012) and Words Kids Need to Hear (Zondervan, 2008). He lives in Grand Haven, MI, with his wife Becky. His son Scott and daughter Erin attend Valparaiso University.
