The Principles of Leadership-Introduction

 

This is Chuck Rapp with Multiply, a podcast to provide a word of encouragement for village church planters.

Welcome to a new year of podcasts for church planters.  During 2021, my theme was the Character of a Leader.  This topic was selected as our character provides the foundation for our leadership.  If one’s foundation is faulty, his or her leadership is destined to crumble. It’s not a matter of “if” it will fail; it’s a matter of when and how complete that failure will be.  

As we enter 2022, my intention is to share with you my personal Ten Principles for Spiritual Leadership.  These are truths or values that inform and guide my service, and I pray that they are helpful to you.  

Paul wrote to his mentee Timothy in 1 Timothy 3:1, "Here is a trustworthy saying:  If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task."  In the Message version, this is paraphrased as “If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good!”

My point is that leadership – driven by proper motives – is a good thing.  Drawing once again from the Message, Romans 15:1-2 provides some excellent advice.  “Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, “How can I help?””

Romans 12:8 tells us that leadership is a spiritual gift.  As such, it is a gift that we are to steward well. 

Following are my ten principles of leadership that we will discuss over the course of this year.  

1. Share the vision - instruct and inspire (speak to both the head and the heart) 

2. Facilitate equipping (we must see to it that others are equipped)

3. Define the expectations (addresses the question, “what does success look like?”) 

4. Explain the ground rules (speaks to the expected behaviors for interaction) 

5. Be available (self-explanatory) 

6. Empower others - delegate authority (this is how they grow, and this gives the leader more bandwidth)

7. Get out of their way! (Do not micro-manage)

8. Provide feedback (are others doing the right things in the right way?  Tell them)

9. Practice accountability (Accountability is part of delegation. Effective leaders have expectations that are appropriate to others’ skill levels and experience)

10. Communicate, Communicate, Communicate! (Though this is listed last, it’s actually the most important principle of them all!)  

 

Later this month we will begin to the principle, “Share the Vision”.  

This has been a word of encouragement for Village Church Planters.