Effective Leaders

[Caleb]

I think leadership capacity is something we don’t talk about enough. Biblically Jesus in calling all of us to be leaders, bringing the lost to Him. It is important to know that everyone is a leader, but it is also key to remember that nobody is perfect. some people may not have the capacity to be a great and strong leader to hundreds or thousands of people, and that is ok, maybe even a good thing. God is always going to push us to grow and excel in our contexts to be better ministers for him, but he is never going to send you in unprepared. That being said, with a reliance on the Holy Spirit we are able to lead well. If we aren’t ready for the step of leading in the hundreds or thousands, God isn’t going to push us or even want us to do that. we all have a personal capacity because everyone is different. We need to spend time with God to grow our capacity, taking time in devotions and worship. we need to dialogue with God, understand what he sees in us, and walk faithfully. a good practice is also to ask others how they might see God working in your life and listen to what others think you need to do to improve. Leadership is a gift I think God especially gives to all believers when we are saved. Our capacity grows with our mission.

[Kylie]

As someone who hates to admit they have limits, leadership capacity can be a hard thing to swallow. That being said it is important to look at our leadership skills and think, yes maybe I can lead 100 people but will I lead them as well as I would lead 10? I also believe some people are gifted to shoulder more or heavier leadership than others and thus for some 100 people feels hard but very much manageable where others stepping out and leading 10 will be already be challenging and that is okay. Both are equipped leaders but again have different capacities. I think it is always possible to increase you capacity as a leader especially if it is what God is calling you into. The first few steps I believe would be to ask the Lord to highlight areas of my life that need some work. I would also look at how I am currently leading myself and the capacity I currently lead and ask is this healthy? Am I being faithful and fruitful with what God has already given me? If I answer no to any of these questions obviously there is some work to be done to increase my capacity, if that is what He is asking of me.

[Karlena]

With the idea of Leadership Capacity, I think of Matthew 25.21 "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things, I will put in you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master." Being faithful in our sphere of influence means the Lord often will choose to increase the sphere of influence. "Being faithful" implies seeking to be the best servant-leader possible and to recognize our dependence on the Holy Spirit as well as the need to learn and continue to grow from our experiences (and the experiences of others). Part of this process is having good mentors, seeking accountability, building relationships with others who can offer counsel, taking leadership courses, and setting time aside to rest, reflect, recharge, and pray. From me personally, increasing my own Leadership Capacity means learning more about how to help others increase their Leadership Capacity.

[Jardelle]

It seems to me, off the top of my head, that leadership capacity is reliant on your ability to lead yourself well in combination to your willingness and ability to inspire others to do the same. As your ability to grow in Jesus grows, the Holy Spirit’s work in you inspires others to grow- multiplying your influence. Followed by implementing the growth you’ve made intentionally into your influence, and inspiring further growth into those you are leading. These two components going hand in hand, both propelling and restraining one another. If I were going to increase my capacity for leadership, I’d begin with yeilding to HS, and training myself very intentionally first.

[Karlena]

Hi Jardelle, thanks for your insightful comments and the reminder that growth in leadership capacity is also contingent on “your ability to lead yourself well” and helping others to grow in their ability to lead themselves well.