To Lead Well Also Means Following Well

            A leader is someone who is followed by others, and someone who leads or commands a group. Over the program I have noticed different qualities which make someone a good leader. I am realizing more and more that sometimes it is hard to be a good leader when you’re tired, stressed, and feeling stretched beyond your own capacity. In living with other leaders you realize more and more what makes a good leader. So far the characteristics that I have noticed in a good leader include; someone who isn’t afraid to ask for help and admit they don’t know everything, someone who encourages others despite the way they are feeling, sets a good example, keeps a positive attitude no matter what they are asked to do, helps out without being asked, and someone who keeps their integrity. Sometimes being a leader is challenging because there are many people looking up to you that when you screw up they will notice. The life of a leader can be overwhelming always trying to be the perfect leader. Being a perfect leader is pretty much impossible as we all screw up sometimes. To keep all the characteristics of a leader at all times can be quite challenging especially on weeks when you’re struggling to put a smile on your face. As a leader it is important that no matter how you are feeling you make the effort to be the best leader you can be setting an example for those who are following you. If you mess up your followers will realize and they will think it is okay for them to do something similar to what you have done.

            Being a leader means following well sometimes. At times it can be hard to follow other leaders even when they are a strong leader. At times I find it a challenge to follow other leaders even when they are a good leader because sometimes it seems easier to do things my own way and sometimes it would be nice to be able to lead myself. For example in our video project for OT lit course I found it really hard sometimes to follow what the leaders of the groups were asking for us to do because I didn’t always agree with what they were asking of us. I thought there was a better way to do it and wanted to do it that way. In every good leader there is still flaws and for me I find that when I notice someone’s flaws or flaws in a plan it can be hard for me to follow them when I think that there is a better way to do something. Overall at times being a follower is challenging when you too are a leader and believe that there is a better way to do something.

            A time when I didn't follow well would be during the filming of the OT video I really was having a rough week and I was exhausted, stressed with work and just overall distracted which made it really hard to follow well. I struggled to follow what was being asked of me because I thought that doing it my own way would be way better. When I was asked to do something I didn’t have a very servant heart. I complained, didn’t do it or did it with a negative attitude. However a time when I did follow well would be at youth group even when I didn’t want to be there when asked to do something I still did it with a servant heart, and a positive attitude. I encouraged other leaders there as well and made sure they knew that they were doing a good job as a leader. Therefore in conclusion there are times when I follow well and encourage other leaders and let other leaders lead but there are also times when I follow bad and believe I could do things better, in a better way and you can tell that I am a bad follower by my attitude and the effort I don’t put forth when serving.

October 27th, 2012

Intentionality in Relationships

October 10th,2012

This year one of my largest goals is being intentional in friendships within the program as long as relationships with individuals in the youth group I am helping at and connections with the ministry team leaders. I realize the biggest challenge and barrier being for me might be vulnerability and honesty in all 3 contexts. As I go into all these areas my goal and hopes for the year are that I would be able to overcome that barrier and be the most intentional that I can be in connecting with the people that God has put in my life and the people’s lives I’ve been put into.

In connecting with the children and youth from Bethel tabernacle I wouldn’t say I’ve been extremely intentional yet in these connections. I’ve spent a lot of time observing and trying to figure out what certain people are like and ways that I can get to know them better. As this Friday approaches I will be sharing my testimony and I think this is a big thing in being intentional as it will open up me as a person to the youth and children and therefore they will be able to better understand where I’ve come from and hopefully will be able to open up with me. My whole reason for sharing my testimony is to not only share what God has done in my life and how awesome he is; but to also break down those walls between me and the youth and to show them that I too struggle and have gone through stuff in my life but I have made it out of those struggles and grown in Christ because of how incredible he is. My hopes are that individuals through my testimony will be able to see that there is hope in these situations too. As the year continues to go by fast I don’t want to miss the opportunities to connect with the individuals at the youth group I want to be more intentional by interacting, approaching them and coming alongside them and encouraging them. I hope to be able to get to know the individuals a lot better and encourage them to grow in a walk with God as well as challenge their thinking on what they believe to help them come to a place of belief in God.  I feel like I could do a much better job in making the connections with the youth and children at the church and I plan on beginning this Friday without fear of what they will think of me.

In the connections with ministry team leaders I believe overall my intentionality has been much stronger as we have connected through meals together a couple times now which has enabled me to be able to see them in a different environment. I have been intentional in when they ask questions about our expectations for the year, or our our expectations from them I have been as honest as I have been able to. I believe in order to be more intentional I could approach them when I am confused about what’s supposed to be happening, or approach them when I have a question about anything. Also, Instead of waiting for them to come to me I believe to be more intentional I could be the one to approach them and ask them how they are doing. By doing this I would be able to encourage them and pray for them as well which would help in developing a relationship that is more intentional with them.

I feel like these intentional connections haven’t been done to my best ability but I feel as though I could do better and as I think and reflect on my relationships I realize about the importance of intentionality. I also realize how being intentional has such a huge impact on relationships with others. I want myself this year to be able to develop the best relationships that I can and the only way I can do this is through being intentional in the relationships and not always waiting to be approached but sometimes do the approaching.