Leading and Loving

     Depending on what kind of background you come from, you probably have a different view of leadership than I do. I've recently been evaluating my views on leadership and thought I'd share some of my thoughts. I grew up with an achievement mindset, meaning I had to achieve things in order to have a positive view of myself or others around me.  All growing up I was told I was a great leader, but I just thought it was because I worked hard, got good grades, was nice to other people and was good at sports. This mindset has slowly been changed and I have a different view now, which I am very thankful for. The change began while I was part of a  ministry and leadership training internship. As part of progressing through the internship, many people became leaders after one year, and got to lead a small group during their second year before completing the internship.
      I have to laugh as I look back on my first month of leading. I still very much had an achievement mentality and had a very difficult time sitting for two hours with other girls and talking about life. I just wanted to get back to work, to go sit at my desk and stare at a computer and do something that I could mark off a checklist. It was a humbling experience as I realized over the next several months that leadership was about much more than getting things done, but rather it was about people. Those were some of the most streching months I had experienced up to that point and I am thankful for the women who guided me along that process and for the precious ladies who got stuck with me as a leader. I am so thankful for my growth during that process!
    I recently had the chance to go back and talk with some young ladies who were graduating from the same internship. One of the topics we discussed was what leadership looked like stepping out of a place where you are titled with that position. I had a fairly simple statement from the observation of my own life as I have transitioned out of that same place:

Leading people means loving people.

    I have heard love described as fighting for another person's highest good. There is no other place I would rather lead from than trying to help someone get to the place of their highest good, whatever it is that means for their personal life. Leading is best achieved when it comes from a place of authentic love, not a forced situation. I find that even now when I have difficult days with the people in my sphere of influence it is because the posture of my leadership is not coming from a place of love but rather from title. This is a dangerous place to be, because my leadership then reflects what is best for me, not necessarily what is best for the people around me.
    I currently get to be a part of a few different ministries at the church I work at, working with infants through college students. It is a wide range of people, all of which I have different interactions with. I can't tell you all their names or all of their stories, but I do know that I want what is best for their lives. In order to achieve this I can only lead with a heart full of love that I hope is reflected in my leadership. So if you want to lead and lead well, love the people around you and watch your leadership transform.