Leadership: Who me?

Every single one of us has influence. Every single one of us is a leader. We can lead right where we are today. No waiting for the perfect time. No waiting for the perfect situation or perfect job. We have influence today with the people around us: family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, hurting people all waiting for a leader to step out and exert a positive influence in their lives.
Is all this really true? Have you given much thought to the people watching your daily actions and how you treat other people? Leading is really serving. Leading is not about self but about others. I believe every single one of us can serve and so we are all leaders. It doesn’t matter if you are a waitress, a painter, a manager, or a CEO we all have influence on the people we rub shoulders with.

These are sobering thoughts because they mean we all have a responsibility to use our influence for the good of our God and those people placed in our path. ‘Responsibility’ is a dirty word in our society. It implies effort. It implies struggle. It implies an imposition on our time. I believe lack of responsibility is a major reason why we have so few leaders. Most people make decisions on how the outcome affects them. Most people want their own needs met. Few spend their lives in service to others while forsaking themselves. So our families, schools, companies, churches and government suffer as potential leaders hide in the back and let others rule of us in authority.

Our government is seriously messed up. It is filled with politicians bent on ruling over us instead of serving us. So many leave for Washington with good intentions and they get drunk on power, perks, and authority. They lose truth and integrity in the quest to maintain power and control. The electorate hungers for a true leader. We long for somebody to tell us the truth irrespective of party affiliation. We long for somebody to serve the people without regard for the next election. We want someone to make the difficult decisions in the fairest manner possible without regard for polls and the latest re-election strategy.

Leadership is not a title. It is not a lofty position in a company. Leadership is servitude right where each one of us lives. You are a leader. You have influence. Don’t waste it. Begin serving others right where you are. Stop waiting for government to fix everybody’s problems. Stop waiting for others to step forward. Move out and lead right now. Our country will not be fixed until 300 million of us are each individually leading in our circles of influence. When many people step out and begin to lead, our nation’s fabric will be changed and I believe we will experience blessing beyond what any of us can imagine.

Don’t wait another day. We truly can change the world if we are bold enough to step out and assume the responsibility, and privilege, each of us has to make a difference and serve others.

“When the godly are in authority, the people rejoice. But when the wicked are in power they groan.” Proverbs 29:2