Are you a leader?

Tony Morgan is the man. His blog outranks mine at Technorati by so much, it ain't even funny. And he flat out kicks my butt on GoogleFight (thanks to Scott Hodge for the link). His blog (and other stuff) is witty, insightful, and fun to read. He even has a cool podcast. The guy has it ALL! Tony... I beggin' you - put me on your blog roll!

Recently, Tony wrote an article for The Church Report. It is written for church leaders, but leaders of any ilk will find it insightful.

In any growing, vibrant organization, the multiplication of leadership involves continuous cultivation of an environment where leadership is welcomed and encouraged to grow. When you've built a church where new leadership is valued and embraced, the impact God can have through your ministry is greater than you could have imagined.

As a leader, you can begin cultivating that environment by doing the following:

Communicate a Big Vision. Remind People Frequently. Then Do it Again.
Particularly with ministry, where leaders are usually volunteering their time, they need to know they're investing in something of significance... something big. One of your primary roles as a leader is to frequently remind people of the mission God has called you to accomplish as a church. Without a compelling vision, you'll never attract high-capacity leaders.

Point to the Destination. Let Others Determine How to Get There.
Your job is vision. You get to set expectations... and even remind people of the values that should shape decisions and actions. When you begin to tell people specifically how to do it, they assume you don't need a leader. Leaders need to own it.

Find People Who Are Smarter Than You... and Give Them the Keys to the Car.
Leaders who don't have a chance to have an influence will take their influence elsewhere. Give people the freedom to succeed. Do everything you can to help them win. Again, you're not letting them drive anywhere they want. You get to identify the destination and help get them back on track if they get lost. You just have to remember that leaders don't want to be passengers... they want the chance to drive.

Think Relationships Before You Think Results.
You must invest your time with other key leaders and potential leaders; and encourage them to do the same. You can’t do it alone. It takes a team of empowered leaders to take ministry to the next level. What are you doing to multiply and release the leadership potential in your church? Are you creating an environment where high-capacity leaders are welcomed and challenged to be all that God created them to be? That may be your biggest challenge as a leader.

10 Easy Ways to Know You'’re Not a Leader
As you'’re considering your influence or evaluating the potential of others, this list will help you identify leadership capacity or, more specifically, where it may be lacking.

1. You're waiting on a bigger staff and more money to accomplish your vision.
2. You think you need to be in charge to have influence.
3. You'’re content.
4. You tend to foster division instead of generating helpful dialogue.
5. You think you need to say something to be heard.
6. You find it easier to blame others for your circumstances than to take responsibility for solutions.
7. It's been some time since you said, "I messed up."
8. You're driven by the task instead of the relationships and the vision.
9. Your dreams are so small, people think they can be achieved.
10. No one is following you.

Read the entire article HERE.

HT: Monday Morning Insight