“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 5:14-16
Hi Meaningful Leaders,
For this week’s article I wanted to share with you a glimpse into a pivotal moment in my history.
I’ve not always walked with God…
It was the beginning of Q4 of 2016 and up until that point, I hadn’t set foot in church in years.
One Sunday morning I made the decision to attend a service at Calvary Church…the behind the scenes of how that happened is for another day…
The service started with a moving worship, it was far from anything I had ever experienced before, especially growing up mostly a Catholic. The music and lyrics truly touched every fiber in me. Yet it was the sermon (or most specifically the beginning of it) that completely disarmed me.
That day Diana Sagot, the pastor’s wife was preaching and her first statement, right out of the bat was “someone here has made their career their god, and you need to let go” and it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I knew at that point, without a shadow of a doubt, that God was speaking to me loud and clear.
I literally started balling (ugly-crying, no traces of mascara left would be an understatement) and I kid you not, I continued to cry every single Sunday for the following six months, because my superpower was until that point my proverbial self-sufficiency.
That is how long it took me fully grasp Who God is to fully surrender to Him my effort, my leadership, my goals, my plans, my finances. Everything that I had pegged my identity to and white-knuckled for years, so He could do what He does best.
That complete surrender is what invited Him to bless my work in ways I’ve never thought possible; for as the apostle Paul teaches us in Ephesians 3:20 “Now to Him Who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
For almost three decades, I have successfully worked alongside and led technical aviation teams in corporate America, and from the very beginning I was not only good at it, I was great. Yet the moment I aligned my faith and my work and started to lead my team in God’s way, following His leadership and principles, my influence grew exponentially and my team’s performance along with it.
What changed? His favor was with me.
Now let’s be honest, leadership is not for the faint of heart…
Even when we walk with God, it can be tough, taxing, and demanding. Hills and valleys. Ups and downs.
As leaders we deal with human beings (and all that they represent) all day, every day. It can put into a deeper perspective the commandment to love thy neighbor.
Leadership demands a level of personal investment and moral authority that can feel intimidating for some, but unfortunately, unnecessary for many, selling out is easy.
On the other hand, it also has an incredible flip side and I’ll be highly unfair if I didn’t point it out.
Leadership gives us a unique platform to have a positive impact in the lives of not only the members of our team, but their families as well…
Same as the ripple effect of a toxic leader can be devastating for a company’s culture and for its bottomline. The ripple effect caused by a well-equipped, godly leader can be the X-factor that makes an organization uniquely competitive and highly profitable.
As believers, we may think that corporate leadership is the job we do; however, the team we lead is the assignment God has entrusted us with. We didn’t land the job by accident my friend…
Newsflash! Our leadership role IS our ministry. As Christians we must integrate the theology of the church sermon and Bible study into the biography of the leader we are called out to be every single day of the week.
One curious thing that happened when I wrote my first book, The Square-Peg Leader Delusion, was the feedback from some members of the peer group I had formed to help me refine my ideas during the self-publishing process. Some suggested that I should keep “faith-based content out” to avoid potentially offending some readers. However, I decided to retain the Biblical insights I included in the book to ensure that my message remained authentic and true to who I am.
I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but the other side it’s pretty loud, so I’m done with political correctness…
Friends, He has called us to be courageous, His message goes against the status quo and that’s dangerous, but He promised He’ll go with us wherever we go. It is time to be all that God has created us to be. To be the light of the world and to start living as His children, on and off the marketplace.
“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Joshua 1:9
I hope you found value here today. If you did, please like, comment and share with your network. It truly helps us to reach more amazing leaders like you.
Thanks for reading and God bless you
Yours in leadership and growth,
