God seems to raise up ministry leaders to ENABLE more people to participate in his plans.
So often the stories of Moses, David, Peter and Paul focus on what they did; recently I have been more interested in what others were ABLE to do because of them.
This paradigm seems to be coming back into the mainstream as the model of the self-sufficient, supremely-gifted, independent leader loses some luster. I’m starting to see that many of these leaders rose not only because of their giftings, but because of their access to scarce resources, primarily the access to a scarce but significant means of communication: the microphone.
The previous and emerging/current paradigms match the primary means of mass communication:
- The Microphone
- The Social Network
The Microphone…
Enabled unparalleled distribution of information, while only allowing one person to function as the speaker. Thus a leader seemed “above” and “more valuable” than those whom he/she served.
The Social Network…
Enabled unparalleled interaction over information, AND turned everyone into a speaker. Thus a leader now seems “equal to” and “no more valuable” than those whom he/she serves.
The greatest opportunity a leader has in this new era is to INFLUENCE & MULTIPLY the efforts of those around them.
If a leader seeks to control rather than influence, emerging leaders will simply move on and shift their time and attention to someone else.
If a leader seeks to co-opt someone to their plans instead of multiply, emerging leaders will simply look for other people to help them achieve their God-planted dreams.
What inspires you to lead as a platform?