The Leader I Aspire to Be

As I have grown in my idea of what a leader should be, I find myself growing nearer to the idea of being a Christ Like leader. One must be willing to lead individuals who have strayed from the herd and serve a higher power, such as God, in order to be a shepherd and not a sheep. Leaders are not to oppress and overpower others with their authority, as the Gentiles practiced. Leaders, on the other hand, put others before themselves. Jesus showed this by "making Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men."Even when they make mistakes, aChristlike leader consistently behaves with honesty and integrity toward both themselves and others. Another method to win people over and show that honesty is a valuable quality is to be honest about your own flaws. I find that Christlike leaders are almost always humble.

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Godly leadership is self-sacrificing, humble, and strong. It takes a great deal of spiritual strength to be a godly leader, which is only possible because of Jesus. It is vital for Godly leaders not to become puffed up or prideful in their position and knowledge (1 Corinthians 8:1). One of the most lowly and unappreciated leadership roles in Jesus' day was that of a shepherd, yet it is the role He chose to exemplify. He was a charismatic, energetic, compassionate, and silently loud leader. He listened without being patronizing and loved perfectly. Great listeners pay attention to others' humble answers as well as the promptings of the Holy Spirit and God while also paying heed to those who have gone before them.

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Throughout my delegation of leadership in numerous fields such as academic, athletic, and service; I have experienced my deepest highs and lows within ministry work. Not only did the ups and downs happen in ministry. It also happened in my private times with the Lord. There were moments when I felt I could not hear from God and moments when I saw God’s hand in everything. Thank God for those who encouraged me to stay the course God had mapped out for me and carved me into the leader I am slowly becoming.

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We need other people to point out our blind spots in life, particularly when it comes to pride. Jim Collins, the author of "How the Mighty Fall," claims that the "hubris of success" is the primary cause of the demise of most successful organizations.  The main factor that causes great men and gifted individuals to fail is pride.The tough thing about pride is that it affects both successful and unsuccessful leaders. Again, as leaders, we have a propensity to not recognize our flaws and to continually blame others for our ministry's underperformance. Being modest means I have to recognize that I have a significant role to play in where I ended up in life.

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Since I was young, my weekends have consistently been packed with soup kitchens, retreats, Church, and religious talks. As I grew older, I began to grab hold of leadership positions in the Church such as a Sunday Mass Lector. We cannot deny the reality that someone enabled us to hold this position of leadership, which is why we are where we are now. Many of us (young leaders) have the idea that we can handle any problem that comes our way, which is a problem. We think WE CAN thrive without the assistance of the older generation in a culture that places such a high value on the individual and the humanistic principles that have permeated the church. We must be able to be trusted, trained, and coached. We need to listen to wisdom, and from my time interning at the Young Writers Workshop I found that it can also come from the younger generation as well. As I said last year, Luke 22:26-28 implores a resounding question, ‘’...but among you it shall be so. Rather, let the greatest among you be as the youngest, and the leader as the servant. For who is greater; the one seated at the table or the one who serves? Is it not the one seated at the table? I am among you as the one who serves. It is you who have stood by me in my trials;’’. Different perspectives and voices make the world go round; no matter the age. Spend time with them. Be mentored and disciplined by these people who move you. Be changed. 

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I think, in the greater scheme of things, to be a leader means that you must sacrifice. Sometimes the ambitions that you have can consume you so much that you lose track of what you are actually fighting for and become lost in a muddle of confusion. We often look to political correctness, the most popular influencer on Instagram, politicians, businessmen, teachers, and many more people in order to find value. A true leader does not find their value in the worth others assign to them. It is far too easy to succumb to social media and the mainstream media than it is to defy it. I find that optimism and positivity do far more than dwelling largely on the negatives of a moment. I lead in a struggling attempt to follow the steps of Jesus. This, at most times, is not easy but I find hope in the fact that I am trying. God is perfect. And because God is perfect it is hard to exemplify perfection. but what matters most is that I'm striving to be as Jesus was, by pursuing the truth in the world. Frankly, that is the most beautiful thing of all, to not lead in an attempt for financial gain or stature but to lead solely out of the love in helping others. I know that as I continue to evolve that doing the right thing will produce challenges and victories, sorrow and hope, and fear and perseverance.

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Serving as a part of the Students of Life has only solidified my passion for speaking the truth; even if others do not wish to hear it. As a faith-based leader, I must be rooted in the gospel. Where do we get our sense of self? Some leaders modeled it after their own ministry. Some based it on their accomplishments. We must be reminded that our identity is found in Christ. Christ is the one who completes me. No matter what, I am loved and accepted. My worth is not determined by my last accomplishment or failure. I am a child of God. The world may take away my ministry or "success," but it will never take away my love for God because God's love for me is unwavering. Many people stumble because pride, success, and lust enter their thoughts, which is reasonable given that no one in this world is perfect. Sometimes, as leaders, we feel that the reason all this has happened is in major part because of us. We start to isolate ourselves, manipulate people instead of guiding them, read more strategic books rather than the Bible, and do more training than praying.  As leaders, we must preach the gospel to ourselves on a regular basis. Christian living is a daily death to oneself. When the gospel seizes our attention, it transforms us. It helps us feel safe, humble, coachable, repairable, and trainable. We can make mistakes, but we can also learn from them. We can fumble, but we can get back up and sprint. Why? Because we are united in Christ. We work for Christ. He adores us. We are not working for the applause of men but for the Glory of God. That has become my purpose and will continue to be so until the day I die. I pray that I can honor God in this life, in this movement, and in this leadership.