This week, we continue to look at this important idea of “Servant Leadership.” I once heard this saying that has stuck with me over the years. It goes something like this: “To be a good leader, you have to first be a good follower.” I remember the first time I heard that, I internally struggled with that idea. I was young, and I thought, “I’m not meant to just follow someone, but I want to lead!” Good thought, but the more I’ve lead, the more I’ve realized that in any and every role you lead, you will always be following someone else’s vision.
And this is the point I want to look at when it comes to servant leadership. That in every role, you are always fitting into someone else’s “Big Picture.” What I mean by that is, the vision you have has to fit into a larger vision. For example, if you’re a youth pastor, your vision needs to fit into the larger vision for your church. If you’re a Lead Pastor, your vision should fit into God’s vision for your church. If you’re a manager at a corporation, your vision should fit into the larger vision of your company. The moment that vision starts to contradict the larger vision, that is a sign that you might need to change surroundings, because you no longer fit into the bigger picture. The reality is that the canvas your vision is painted upon will always fit into a bigger picture. And along those lines, here are a few questions to ask yourself:
- Does the picture your leadership is painting fit into the larger picture of where you are? If not, where does it fit?
- How can you lead others to better fit into the larger picture?
- How does the truth that your vision fits into a larger vision affect how you lead?
Nick Poole 