Leadership

     Leadership, that is quite a loaded word if you think about it long enough. What kind of leadership are we talking about here? Presidential, corporate, organizational, or religious? Should a leader look the same across all those spans of systems? Do we look for the same qualities in our presidential candidates as we do in our church leaders and CEOs?
     I never really wanted to be a leader, it is something that people saw in me and challenged me to live up to.  But I have not been one who has wanted to climb to the top and put myself out there. Running for class president was never my ambition, in fact, if I could sink into the thick of a crowd I would be perfectly happy going unnoticed.  Yet over and over again I have been asked to lead. It used to shock me, but I think I have finally accepted this as a part of who I am. I think!
     Even though it has taken me a long time to be comfortable in the skin of leadership, I do really enjoy leading. I enjoy the care and development of people, the strategy involved in making sure all the puzzle pieces fit together, and the joy of a team of people accomplishing something together.  If you had asked me 5 years ago if I thought I would love my role as team leader, I would have said that it wouldn't be for me. But now, 5 years later, I actually feel like I am beginning to thrive. Maybe there is something to these qualities that others have seen in me, but that I have struggled to see myself.
     There are heavy, literally heavy sides of leadership and really hard judgement calls, and days when you have to make decisions that go against the crowd.  There are also incredible moments of joy watching individuals succeed and accomplish their goals, watching a movement grow and change, and develop, and moments of sweet celebration as you look back and actually see progress.  Over the years if I have learned anything, it is that leadership is complex.
     One of my favorite things about my leadership role is that I get to share it with a co-leader.  And over the past few years I have learned so much from him as he has led out of who he is.  I couldn't ask for a better person to lead with, it is actually fun, yes fun, to lead together. And carrying the mantle of responsibility is a whole lot easier when there are two people doing so.
     We are attempting some pretty risky and scary, and big things this year with our team as we lead together, and over the past couple of weeks I have watched my co-leader shine!  He is teaching me what qualities are valuable in a leader and I couldn't be more thankful to learn from him.  For starters, these big risks that we are taking were his idea! He says over and over again that he desires for us to be a team that trusts God for big things. And although I thought he was crazy when he first proposed the ideas, I now see how great this risk taking has been for our team and our students, and especially for me! In taking risks we have had to be more dependent on God than ever before, we have seen the ugly parts of ourselves come out because of our anxiety, but at the same time have seen the beauty that offering grace and truth brings.  And we have seen God show up in some pretty sweet ways!
     Another way that my co-leader shines is that he continually leads us back to our dependency in prayer.  When things get stressful, or heated, or crazy my co-leader is often the first to propose that we stop and pray.  He recognizes that without the lord's help, provision, and presence, all our efforts are in vain.  Thirdly, he has a long term view.  I can so easily get lost in the moment and the demands of today. But time and time again he leads me back to the long term, asking us to wait patiently.  I think we make a good team because I can see the dangers and problems, and he often knows whether to wait and let the dust settle, or to be proactive in dealing with them.  His long term vision and view is often what our team needs to trust and keep moving forward.
     Lastly, he platforms and empowers others.  I think that this might be the best quality in a leader. He often gives me space to lead out of my own strengths, and willingly does the same out of his strengths.  There isn't a sense of competition between us because we both know and understand and value that we bring something needed to the table.  My co-leader does this often with our teammates and our students as well.  He gives space for others to lead and to shine, and coaches and listens and encourages along the way.
     Yes, there are many qualities to leadership, and I imagine that every leader looks a little different.  The past few weeks have just made me pause once again and think about some valuable leadership attributes because I see them personified in my co-leader often.  And our whole team is the better for it! As I continue to learn to lead out of who I am, living in freedom, leading with this man has given me space, safety, support, and encouragement to figure it out along the way.