I am sure there are a lot more but here are just four to get you started.
- I don’t run marathons. I run the first leg of the relay. I start fast, cover a lot of distance, get ahead of everyone and then…give it to someone else. I then stand at the envisioned finish line cheering the other runners on. The false assumption about me because of my leadership personality is that I am either a quitter or that I am lazy when actually I am a starter and I know that someone other than myself is supposed to do it. Unless you know me nothing will convince you otherwise and I’m okay with that.
- I don’t know everything. In fact I don’t know a lot of things. I think this is one of my greatest strengths. If I knew everything I might not be as willing to try crazy things and it is usually the crazy ideas that work. Not to mention, know it alls don’t learn from their mistakes. They just assume it was someone else’s fault.
- I fail on purpose. Okay, maybe I don’t fail on purpose but I am willing to fail for a purpose. All this means is that I am willing to lay it all on the line to do what God called me to do. This is how LifePoint began. It tends to make people nervous…especially my wife. Which brings me to #4.
- My wife wins. If push comes to shove my wife comes before the church every time. It is for her that I have been willing to leave full-time ministry behind and it is because of her that I haven’t. Everyone has their own opinions but don’t fight me on this…my wife wins.
So what else irritates you about my leadership? I may not like what I hear but then again I might just refer you to number 2 and thank you for pointing it out.
Kevin Stover says:
Well James,
I think that a facet of your leadership that annoys me has to be the fact that you make other people do stuff. (I think that’s what you’re getting at in your #1). Isn’t the pastor supposed to do EVERYTHING? I mean, come on. Really. Following you is just such hard work…I know that’s biblical, but I still don’t like it.
Just kidding. Mostly.
Jenny says:
Well I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know #4 doesn’t/wouldn’t bother me at all. Speaking as a wife myself, I think it’s great that your wife comes before the church. There are so many situations I know of where families with a spouse/parent in ministry have suffered because the person in ministry puts it before their family and uses all their time and energy on it.
By the way, none of that other stuff drives me crazy either. 😉
I appreciate all that you do.
James Laws says:
Kevin, leading you ain’t no picnic either. Of course given the option to trade you for anyone else, I wouldn’t change a thing…other than request two of you. Man, that would be scary.
Jenny, Thanks for the kind support. You would be surprised at the resistance I have encountered on that last point in the past. I know one person who left their spouse because the other partner didn’t want to be in ministry. The person wasn’t even currently in ministry. They asked me my opinion while I was an executive pastor at another church and I told them I would leave ministry in a heartbeat in order to preserve my marriage.
I am committed to God, spouse, ministry, in that order and not the other way around. I am not always perfect in this regard but I am constantly realigning myself to it.
charlie says:
leadership is a term that people have different opinions on to say the least. okay for argument sake here, i am going to break down the word leadership. the term probably means (i might be wrong here) someone leading a group of in a certain direction in any different type of scenarios. the people who have to make leadership decisions will not always get the admiration of the group. sometimes yes sometimes no. in either case there has to be leadership. whether your at home, work, or church there has to be order or else there is chaos. people have different opinions and preferences obviously. while this is a natural state of human nature, there still has to be order. whether one is in a leadership position at home, work or church, the people following have to understand that not every decision will be easy nor will every decision be hard. god had to make some hard decisions. remember the great flood when god saw the people were too evil in their ways even for his sight. i am sure god did not want to flood the earth but god saw it as a necessary one. the point out of all this is being a leader is not always the easiest and at the same time a position in that is needed as well.
Kevin Stover says:
Charlie,
You’re definitely right, being a leader isn’t about making people happy, or leading so that everyone is satisfied. The best leaders are able to make difficult decisions, while helping people understand the necessity of the decision that was made.