Leadership

I love coordinating our church's annual women's retreat. As the retreat coordinator, I lead a team of about 20 women. We have a great team and it is a joy to serve. A few weeks ago, the women's ministry director at our church gave me a book to read. The book is "Unleashing the Power of Rubber Bands: Lessons in Non-Linear Leadership" by Nancy Ortberg. I'm a little over halfway through the book and have already learned so much. Two statements have hugely impacted me.

1. Have the conversation.
-I avoid conflict at all costs. As a leader, I do not have that luxury. It is my job to deal with any issues or problems that arise. I know that this statement will be popping into my head when my heart wants to turn and run the other way. If I allow God to lead through me and deal with difficult situations in a loving and compassionate way, our team and ministry will be healthier and stronger.

2. The intersection of vision and reality may be one of the greatest tests of leadership.
-This portion of the book really hit me hard. I love to dream. I love to hope for the best. I love to see what could be. Unfortunately, I can't live in this world. I need to dream, I need to hope, I need to see what could be, but I also need to live in reality. Nancy Ortberg says this, "It is having sober eyes and an optimistic spirit, and refusing to chose between the two. It is the good news--bad news moment when you cannot allow one to dismiss the other. They are both true--where we are heading and where we are--but we have to walk through reality in order to move toward the vision. Without that, vision becomes a simple addiction to the emotional high of an imagined future."