Lessons of the Year #3: Leadership Matters

Sorry for the delay. The problem was more technical, but I apologize. I said Lesson #3 would post yesterday and that was as good as a promise. Keeping your promises matter...which is a great lead in to lesson #3.It became clear that the lessons of being limited and needing to grow up were not isolated. My need to realize my limitations and be faithful with my body was deeply connected to my purpose in this life. Likewise, moving on to maturity and embracing my age was also a part of my call into ministry. As the Director of CCW, I have been given the amazing opportunity to participate in the lives of college-aged young adults. It would be wrong for me to take this role lightly as the late-teens/early 20s stage of life is arguably the most significant for an adult. With great privilege comes great responsibility. The third lesson was one I already knew: leadership matters. This work is too important not to take it seriously. But in light of the other two lessons, the third one now means a whole lot more.It seems that we now hear of a leader who has fallen from their pedestal every few months or so. It is especially tough when we have trusted someone, near or far, and given them a great deal of power and affluence only to find out that they have led in unwise, even corrupt ways. When the news gets out, those that lean more merciful respond with 'well, everyone makes mistakes' or 'they are only human', or 'they were under so much pressure'. No matter how we may try to rationalize the acts of the fallen leader, the damage has been done. The Penn State scandal is just one more case of normal people, with a ton of influence, making the wrong decisions for fear of losing it all. It is a tragedy.Unfortunately, these scandals are nothing new. History records many men and women over the centuries who have misused their power and only thought of their own interests. The result is that some are so afraid of the 'all powerful leader' that they have embraced 'leadership by committee'. I am not sure if the latter is a good replacement. At the end of the day, all of us tend to look to a person, not a committee, for the way forward. From the ancient scriptures to last week's editorials, we all tend to look for one woman or man who will take responsibility for more than themselves and lead us all to a better future. Leadership matters.As I said in lesson #2, there are hundreds of next gens depending on me to be a leader worth following. This realization is not something that I should begrudge or complain about...it is a high privilege. Yes, I am human. Yes, I make mistakes, Yes, the last year has been the most challenging of my life so far. But it is my role, and people are depending on me to be faithful...not in place of their dependence on God, but because of it. If it is true that God is the One who ultimately gave me this leadership opportunity, then my response to His sovereignty is directly linked to how seriously I embrace this role. God knows that human beings need leadership, so He has gifted us with men and women so that we may be led to growth and maturity in Him. Again, leadership matters and I cannot treat my calling as a small thing.I am called to a higher standard of behavior. I am expected to handle the circumstances of life with extra grace. When it comes to my health or personal growth, it is a part of my call to be a couple of steps ahead. None of this speaks to me being better than anyone else. But it does speak to me being a leader. My leadership matters, and I always knew that. But after my first year with CCW, I have never been more aware of how important it is for me to know this and live by this.Whether you are a parent, pastor, employer  or professor, our leadership roles have never been more significant. People are depending on us to do more than make great speeches and do great work. They are depending on us to be great people...leaders worth following in every way. God knows we are human and prone to mistakes. He also knows that with Him, we are capable of being more than we ever knew we could be. Leadership, at every level, matters more than we will ever know.