John Maxwell wrote, “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.” Hi, I’m Tom Ellsworth from Sherwood Oaks Christian Church with a minute message.
Most of the time we view a leader as the person out front, leading the way, but true leadership is more about insuring the success of everyone involved. Sometimes, the last place is the best place for a leader. That principle may be best seen in the leader of a mountain climbing team. For instance, in the decent stage of the climb, the most experienced guides will often go last. That way they can oversee the whole group below them. From that perspective, they lead; they can see the route ahead, can spot any climbers in trouble and can make the necessary adjustments that guarantee the success of the climb. You see, a leader’s real job is to make sure everyone gets to his or her destination successfully.
In this new year, God’s challenge for us is to step up and lead. Life provides some mountainous challenges and our real job is help one another complete the climb successfully – to know the way, go the way and show the way.