Love it or hate it, you always are. You are always leading. Seriously, even if you think you aren’t a leader, you are leading. People are watching. Leadership is influence. We are always influencing people by our actions, our attitudes and our words. Yes, you always are.
Think about it. Even when you stand in the check-out line at the grocery store, your words, your demeanor, your actions are influencing others in some direction. The question is, “in what direction are we leading?” Toward goodness… or away? Toward strong character… or away? Toward peace… or away?Toward God… or away?
Nowhere is this principle more apparent and amplified than in a celebrity-focused place like Hollywood. With “paparazzi” always on the scene, a star’s every move is watched by millions. And whether they want to accept it or not, people…especially young people …are following them, copying them. Their clothes, their tattoos, their behavior and the decisions they’re making.
The sports world is the same. When Charles Barkley was a professional basketball player, he made the now-famous declaration that he “wasn’t a role model”. He realized the weight of responsibility carried by a star player and tried to shuck it. He couldn’t. No one can. Sports star or not, we all are role models at some level in our particular and unique circles of influence.
As parents or grandparents, this principle should be front and center. Our kids or grandkids are always watching what we do. They’re watching how we handle pressure. How we eat, drink, exercise, rest and take care of our bodies. How we treat others. How we make decisions. How we handle conflict. How, what we say matches up with what we do. Like it or not, you are always leading.
As an active pastor in the same city for 27 years, I know a lot of people. Sometimes, it feels like I know way too many people! I know that I’m always leading. People are watching. Not that I really desire to live a double life. But there are times when I wish I could just drive like a jerk and know that no one would recognize me. I would love to go shopping just one time and not see someone I feel obligated to smile at and talk with. That’s why stay-cations don’t work for me. I need to get out of town to unwind, refresh and recharge my mind, body, spirit and soul. Because, I know I’m always leading. And, so are you. You always are.
QUESTION: What helps you to embrace your full-time leadership responsibility? Share it below.
2 responses to You Always Are