You can’t lead them if you need them! You can’t lead people when you need their approval. You can’t lead people when you need their finances. You can’t lead people unless you are free, whole and healthy. The inner work of a leader must go to this depth, to do the work of being “free” to lead, free to encourage and to call up and call out. The inner work of the leader must release them from having their emotional needs met by those they lead. You can’t lead them if you need them. You lead them when you love them. You lead them when you see in them greatness and future. You lead them when you love them. But if you need them to approve you, if you need them for your survival, your leadership will always be limited at best.
Leaders lead out of health and wholeness not out of empty hearts. You can’t lead them if you need them.
I as the pastor of a church in Wapello, Iowa. One family had taken over the leadership of the church and taken it into very dangerous patterns. We had all agreed when I came to the church that we needed to change the pattern for the church to become healthy. But, old patterns change gradually. So, within a 60 days of the start of my ministry the leader of that family came to me and threatened to pull out of the church. That meant that about 50% of the income of the church (four families….8 adults…and all of the church counsel and treasurers) would be leaving the church. This had been the same pattern as they had followed before I arrived and the pattern that we had agreed needed to be changed. He phrased it this way, “You drive that Buick Electra 225. I imagine that it has a loan against it. How are you going to make your PAYMENTS on that car if you don’t do what we tell you to do and we leave?” I told him that I did not want him to leave the church…but if that is what he thought best for his family, I would agree. BUT, it was VERY important that we make ALL of our decisions about the health of the church based on PRAYER and not on PRESSURE. So, as soon as we finished our conversation, I went into the house and called a friend of mine. He had really liked the car I had been driving. I asked if he still wanted the Electra 225 for just the amount of money I still owned on it? He JUMPED at the chance! So, later that week we all met about 1/2 way between us….I sold him the car…and my dad brought on old beat up, rusted out, green 1972 Ford that he had sitting around…and let me drive it back to Wapello. The next Sunday, the leader of the family came into the church and wondered where my car was. I told him, “I sold that car to a friend of mine. This is the car I’m driving now. It does not have any loan on it….so that takes the pressure off of making our decisions. Now, we can simply ask God to show us how to move forward without that issue making things complicated.” You CAN’T NEED them….you can’t ALLOW them to think YOU NEED THEM…..you must be FREE to PRAY for God’s Leading….without being pressured and manipulated. God bless your work, Ken!
What amazing leadership! You are my hero!!! It is about being free in our hearts, free from fear, free to lead without manipulation. And how you did it was amazing!! You brought the real issue on the table and that was an opportunity for those who were pressuring to see their own hearts! Such powerful redemption! The Lord has a powerful servant there in Iowa! Just crazy amazing leadership!!!!