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Passive Leadership may not be the best term to describe the leadership insight for this week. In the last few weeks, I have been privy to hear various students testify of their connection in community and growth in their faith in Jesus through our ministry and my leadership in their lives.
The odd thing is that when I hear their gratitude, I don’t think that I did anything extraordinary to love them. One woman shared how she is grateful that I urged her to check out one of our meetings at a hangout she came to with her roommate who was already involved with InterVarsity. I had met this woman at the donut shop and I must have made some sort of impression with my invitation.
I think of passive leadership as the kind of leadership that happens when we are not necessarily thinking that we’re practicing leadership in that particular moment. In other words, there are many things that I do that I know is an expression of my leadership role in this ministry. I lead staff meetings, run Bible Studies and preach sermons. In those moments, I know that I’m practicing leadership. But there are also areas like hanging out at a donut shop where I am enjoying the friendship and relationships, and thinking less about doing good leadership over donuts.
Leadership, like many other values, does not have an on and off button. The moments where I have wanted leadership to have the on and off button are the moments where I have resented my calling, was dissatisfied with my job, or struggled with my faith (whether it was a season of pain or sin). Conversely, the moments where leadership was never about the on and off button were the moments where I sensed God’s calling in my life in a clear way and enjoyed the means I was expressing that calling.
One of the things I imagine about heaven is that there will be a sort of mingling party where we can share our gratitude with those who loved us in extraordinary ways. My sense is that I will be approaching a lot of men and women who have influenced me in radical ways who may not know that they had done so. Likewise, I may meet some people whom I did not know that well who appreciated my leadership because of who I am and how I acted in integrity and outside of any official roles of leadership.
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I really appreciate this post. I like your point, “Leadership, like many other values, does not have an on and off button.” Your post shows that leadership is more than a task in that it includes our character. Good character will lead to better leadership because, as you point out, we’re leading even when we’re not doing those tasks we consider ministry or work. Also, your post puts a lot of faith in God to do a lot of the work.
How do you think we can develop the character and sense of calling that doesn’t seek to look at leadership as something we can turn on and off?