Rule #13: Awesomely Bold Leaders Recognize that ALL People Have Gifts and Talents. Free Them to Use Their Gifts and Talents to Follow You.
...and I realized that ministry is a lot like football.
As "quarterback" of my church, I have to get the right signals from the Visionary on the Sidelines. And that's not hard, because I'm also the Visionary on the Sidelines, calling the plays. But the point is that ministry is like football.
And it's also like Ultimate Fighting. But it's not like speed skating. It's definitely not like figure skating, but it IS like running a marathon, but it's not like one of those "race-walking" marathons, which are kind of...questionable. It's like high-stakes poker, but not really like euchre.
Every few months, I get away to Alaska for a Poker Night with other awesomely bold leaders of leading leaders of visionary leaders. We play a game of poker before heading out into the night to hunt with our bare hands. One night, as I was choking an elk, I realized: I might be able to do this, but most people can't. They need the tools to do their job -- to follow me.
You must recognize: You may be remarkably talented, magnetic, well-muscled, and forward-thinking. But others have talents, too. Empower them to use their talents to follow you, as...
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Rule #398: Awesomely Bold Leaders Know How to "Get Through"
...when there I was, overlooking the great battlefield of Gettysburg, just 142 years, almost to the month, after that great battle. I thought about Abraham Lincoln, and how he boldly led his army of slaves to victory on this battlefield. I thought about leadership.
Then I thought about me, and how I met Arnold Palmer once.
You know what Arnold said to me? "Excuse me, but I'm trying to get through here," he said. Right there, Arnold Palmer, winner of 18 majors, summed up leadership. "I'm trying to get through here" --
I'm trying to lead, and in order to lead, I've got to get through here. So here are The Three Questions of Leadership, you must ask yourself:
1) In your leadership, where's "here"?
2) Where are you?
3) And where am I?
Can you answer all three? Leaders of leading leaders can. My prayer is that you'll be able to answer all three, my friend, and...
