by Jon Beaty
If you influence others, you lead. Most of us do have influence. People watch us. Some follow us.
If you’re a parent, you influence your children. If you’re married, you influence your spouse. If you have a job, you influence the people who work with you. So, we all lead, like it or not.
Leading Out of Necessity
When on a hike with my family and we come to a treacherous section on the trail, I’m the one that gets nominated to go first.
Some people aspire to lead. That’s not me. Like many leaders, I lead out of necessity.
Some people want the job title that gives them a license to lead. I’d much rather not have the title because it often comes with expectations I don’t know how to meet.
Most of the time leading isn’t glamorous. It’s usually difficult, frequently stressful, and sometimes messy.
Reluctant Leaders Don’t Aspire to Lead
You might call me a reluctant leader.
One of history’s greatest leaders also gets credit for being one of the most reluctant. He also had a mix of great accomplishments and failures.
Moses took a job no one else would want.
God called Moses to lead his people out of Egypt. Moses didn’t apply for this job. He didn’t want it. But when God calls, those who are faithful can’t easily say no. They step up to the challenge.
When God calls, those who are faithful step up to the challenge.
Now What?
So what does a reluctant leader do? How do they avoid settling into the ordinary. Can a reluctant leader be extraordinary?
A reluctant leader is ordinarily indecisive, unsure of their decisions, avoids conflict, and procrastinates. I have no doubt that Moses and every other reluctant leader God calls struggles against these tendencies.
But among the reluctant leaders featured in the Bible, I’ve observed some common traits that enabled them to be extraordinary. As a reluctant leader, I work to make habits of these:
1) Embrace Humility
Humility comes from knowing your weaknesses, and not being afraid to acknowledge when you don’t know the answer.
My weaknesses as a leader seem to be most apparent at home. My wife Tami faithfully reminds me of my weaknesses and encourages me.
Few people want to be reminded of their weaknesses, but we need to be aware of them to be humble.
True humility is a trait of character that can only be learned under divine instruction. He or she acknowledges the inefficiency of human wisdom and consistently seeks God’s wisdom.
Humility makes it ok to ask for help.
Moses wrote of himself that he was the most humble man of his time (Numbers 12:3). For some people, the fact that he’d write this about himself calls into question how humble he really was. But when he stood in the glow of the burning bush and accepted God’s call to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt, he didn’t believe God had chosen the right person for the job. Moses knew his
weaknesses.
To succeed, a reluctant leader must never allow confidence in my own ability, or my doubts in God’s ability, to weaken my dependence on God.
But we need to know, it can happen, even to the best leaders.
When Moses lost sight of his need of God, he allowed his pride to rise up and guide his actions. He lost his confidence in God’s guidance and took matters into his own hands. This is what happened when in anger he struck the rock with his staff at Kadesh (Numbers 20). God’s command had been for Moses to simply tell the rock to put out water. But, frustrated with grumbling and complaints from the Hebrews, Moses got self-righteous and lost his temper.
The leader who believes in their own qualifications eventually demonstrates their lack of qualification.
Effective leadership depends on the right character more than the right training.
2) Talk with God Often
When I read the stories of Abraham, Moses, David, Jesus, and Paul, I see evidence of frequent conversations with God. This was common among the Bible’s reluctant leaders. It needs to be common in my life.
The Sandy church has repeatedly affirmed God’s call for me to serve as its head elder for several terms. In this role, sometimes I begin to feel overwhelmed when I see what needs to be accomplished for this church to flourish. Instead of letting the weight of it push me down, I need to talk with God. His words will guide my steps and make my path straight.
Abraham Lincoln saw the value in this habit and wrote: “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had no where else to go. My own wisdom and that of all about me seemed insufficient for that day.”
3) Know Your Values
Values are the convictions you’re willing to die for, if necessary.
Values drive your decisions.
To lead without values is to lead without a compass.
The successful leaders portrayed in the Bible valued obedience to God’s word above all.
When a leader would rather turn and walk away, or is tempted to do the wrong thing, God’s word gives them power to do the right thing. This is what motivated Noah to build an ark on dry land. This is what gave Abraham the courage to place Isaac on an altar, trusting that God would provide a sacrifice. This is what gave Joseph the will to resist the seduction of Potiphar’s wife.
It’s why Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me.”
Be clear about what you stand for and rely upon God to keep you faithful to the things that are most important.
Are you a reluctant leader? What habits do you cultivate to help you lead well?