This is a guest post by Gabriel Pace. He's been in leadership for a long time. But I get the privilege of working with him at church where he serves as a audio tech and a very skilled spoken word artist.
Gabriel Pace
“Leaders aren't born they are made. And they are made just like anything else, through hard work. And that's the price we'll have to pay to achieve that goal, or any goal”
– Vince Lombardi
Whether
you are a fan of football or not there is a good chance you have heard the name
Vince Lombardi. He is arguably the best
coach in professional football history. Heck, the Super Bowl trophy is named
after him! What most people don’t
realize is he coached for 22 years before he won his first
championship. He started as a high
school coach in 1939 and worked his way up the pro level in 1960 before winning
the championship in 1961.
His success
wasn’t achieved overnight. It took years
of trial and error and dedication to achieve greatness. Just think what would have happened though if
somewhere along the way he had given up and decided to abandon his dream of
coaching in the big leagues, would anybody today even recognize his name?
Just like you
Okay, so
there is a good chance that your lifelong dream is not
to win a Super Bowl, however you do have a dream of pursuing leadership. Maybe you want to become a pastor, a worship
leader, or a youth group leader. No
matter what area you wish to step out in, it won’t happen overnight. You can’t walk into your local church and say
“Hello. It is nice to meet you. I am your new head pastor”. It takes time, study and dedication to
achieve your goal.
This is your beginning
So
you’ve made your decision and you ready to pursue leadership, now what? When beginning this journey there are three
key steps to making yourself into a leader that others will want to follow and
will help you ensure your success is long lived.
1. Ask
yourself, “Am I following God’s will and seeking His guidance as I prepare to
take this step?”
When seeking to be a leader in any area
of your life the first place you must start is with prayer. God has a plan and a direction for your life
and it is vital that you are following that plan. If you attempt to step out in an area of
leadership that God has not called you to then it will surely end in
failure. Don’t attempt to make your will
God’s will, follow his leading if you want to succeed.
2. Create
a plan to achieve your goal
Coaches are taught to follow a game
plan, the military is taught to follow the plan of attack, contractors are
taught to follow their blueprints, and if you wish to be successful you will
want a plan of your own. It is important
to develop short, moderate, and long term goals for yourself and keep those
goals attainable. Begin with a goal for that week, then for the month, then for
the year. Eventually you will want to
work your way up to three and five year goals. Don’t set your sights too high
or you will fall so short of your goals that you will become discouraged and
give up. Remember this won’t happen
overnight, patience and dedication are your best allies during this process.
3. Follow
through on your plan
Once you develop your plan don’t put it
on the shelf, put it into action! Seek
the guidance of others that are successful in the area of leadership you are
pursuing and follow their example. Don’t
be afraid to use what is working for them in your own life, they are successful
for a reason. Be yourself and fulfill
your ministry but let others help you along the way. Reward yourself as you complete your goals
and don’t let pride keep you from modifying them as you feel led to do so. Leave room for God to work and trust Him with
everything you do, you’ll be amazed at the things He will do through you when
He is in control.
This is the bottom line
Leadership is a privilege not a reward. If you feel God is calling you to step out in
an area of leadership don’t take it lightly.
Make the most of the opportunities you’ve been given and always follow
through. Your championship trophy
awaits.
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