Leadership is an Art

"Leaders don't inflict pain, leaders bear pain." -Leadership is an Art by Max DePree

So something that has been on my mind a lot recently is the idea of leadership. I have been in and out of leadership roles in my life, and I am grateful for the opportunities that I have been given. At no point have I ever thought that I deserved any of them or that the position was owed to me. I hope that I have been a successful team captain, Bible study leader, head lifeguard, and many other things, here's the thing that bugs me most; leaders should work harder than anyone and it is so much more than just being a boss. Leading is being the boss without being bossy.  Hence the above quote. Leaders do not inflict pain on their "inferiors" (I hate using that word to describe the leader's followers), rather, leaders are to lighten the burden as best they can for their inferiors. This may not always mean that the leader is doing their work for them, but it could mean that the leader is doing thier best to come up with the most efficient ways of doing things. That they are being a planner, but working hard nonetheless. In doing this, they save time, energy, and sometimes money.  However, other times, this means that the leader is to "step down" out of their position in order that things run smoother. They should be ready and willing to take on part of the burden of their inferiors. In contrast, if a leader is doing well, he or she may see their inferiors doing the same for them, going out of their way to make the leaders life easier and going above and beyond their job descriptions. With this in mind and these actions in play, respect is formed for and from both parties.

Now for rhetorical questions! How can you expect a group to work or stay uplifted when the leader is lazy? It is disheartening to say the least when a leader's job is to be the prime example, and the leaders could care less because they are too preoccupied with mindless distractions.  It is important to remained focused on the job at hand. How can you demand respect from your followers if you yourself are disrespecting them by not carrying your part? Playing sports growing up, I was always told "you are only as strong as your weakest player." Not only is this saying true, but never ever ever ever (!) should your leader be your weakest part! They are the leader for a reason! If one part of the team slacks, everyone else has to pick up the extra work and stress; if one part of the team fails, the whole team fails.

If you are a leader, I challenge you to be the leader, not just the boss. Be the example and do not overestimate your value to a job. Just because you have the title next to your name, does not make you better than anyone else. A team is a team.

If you are the follower, I challenge you to (respectfully) keep your leader in check. Call them out if you feel they are slacking, and encourage them when they are doing a fantastic job. We all need accountability and, coming from personal experience, it is nice to know when you are and are not doing a good job.