The Hand in Glove of Leadership

by Karen Porter in Leading Hearts magazine

FAITH IS A WORD THAT IS THROWN AROUND IN THE MEDIA AND ON SPORTS SHOWS AND IN LIFE. People say, “Yes, I did it because I had faith.” Or, “We won the game because we had faith.”

I always perk up when I hear someone say those words because I want them to finish the statement and say what they have faith in. But most of these proclaimers don’t say the object of their faith — they only say they have faith.

It’s one thing to have faith that your chair will hold you up when you sit in it or that your car will start when you turn the key. But we need deeper faith, and sometimes we need faith for the impossible.

And if your faith is firmly placed in God, your faith will move mountains and accomplish the impossible. If you are a leader with faith: Nothing can shake you. You are calm in crisis because you believe in God, who prepared you and called you to leadership. If the flight is canceled or a storm rolls in on the big day, your faith will help you find solutions, and even if others panic, you are steadfast and composed. Your faith in God helps you move on from criticism.

He will give you confidence because He is with you. He will help you ignore slams against you because you know your identity in Him. Your strength comes from God. You may be talented, intelligent and capable, but when those gifts are surrendered to God in total dependence, He will give you power and authority. You will impact your world and beyond. Your faith in God influences others on your team to pursue and follow Him, too.

Your faith in God encourages those around you to try new methods and assume new attitudes because they see how your faith has made you into a great leader. Your faith will make you approachable and kind. God is not a hard taskmaster, but a loving Father who guides us. Because of your faith in Him, you will move from a position of demanding excellence from your team to nurturing a desire in team members to rise far above the norm.

As you have faith in God, others will have faith in you. Your peace and joy and depth of character will cause your team to trust your judgment and decisions.

How do we build the kind of faith that a leader needs? Here are some faith-building tools.

Prayer.

Ask God how to lead, and be specific.

Ask Him to show you what advertising tools work or what market your operation should target. Pray for guidance to write those hard letters or emails.

The Word of God.

Reading, studying, memorizing the Word of God is on most of my lists.

The power, the insight and the understanding I get from daily digging into the Word changes everything about my role as a leader and in every other part of my life, too.

Get Journaling!

Try some new journaling styles to help you get in the habit of writing your feelings, goals, and plans each day. Use the computer or a pad and pen to evaluate your progress. Try this journaling outline to get started. Yesterday: Write a short account of yesterday’s activities. Then answer these questions:

• What did I say or do yesterday that was kind?

What did I say or do yesterday that I wish I could take back? • How did God show up in my day yesterday? Today: List the activities that you plan for today. Then answer these questions:

• Do I have too much on my list for the day? If so, what can I eliminate? • What anonymous kindness can I do today?

• Which person can I encourage today? “Remember your leaders, who spoke the Word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith” (Hebrews 13:7).

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