Turning the Corner

Leaders love to turn the corner, make a change, create space, bring inspiration, see things grow, increase profit, build sustainability, and be rewarded for their efforts. The test for leaders everywhere always comes down to the question of, "Is anyone following?"

Actually, many follow your leadership whether you know it or not. People follow what we do and what we say. Leaders are often unaware that their actions and their words lack alignment and people seeking to follow them will  be confused when words and actions are in conflict. If a leader talks about generosity but actually lives a greedy life, people following will typically interpret what generosity looks like through a distorted lens.

We have all been called to lead somewhere, somehow, and in some place. Our lives were created to be significant and to be a blessing to others. God did not create us as robots, simply grinding out our daily existence but as unique people cast in his image. To be created in God's image means that we have been endowed with creative juices and that the blessed creativity motivated by God's Spirit is a clarion call for others, a shining light on the hill.

What holds us back from turning the corner? We are often so captivated by our culture and what we love about it that we miss the Jesus Style creative leadership God wants to do through us. If we love our success, our status, beautiful people,  exotic places, and great experiences, too much and too long, we become bifurcated  leaders not helpful for God's good purposes. Those following us when we are double minded, continually have to work their way through a lot of fog.

Seeking to follow Jesus as a leader means that we are seeking to align our words and our actions in sync with Jesus' words and actions. The one who serves the most is the leader. Jesus taught us that if you seek to be great (have incredible impact) you need to be the servant of all.

The way to turn the corner this year is to seek to live our lives with God's purpose in mind and with our words and actions in alignment.