I read a statement this morning that bears repeating:
“Leadership is not a sprint, it is a relay race.”
So much of what we fill our day with is done in a hurry. About a month ago, I wrote a blog about living in the fast lane without being hurried. It is important to remember the principle of making deposits and investing in life so that there is something there to withdraw when the need arises. It is important to remember to both inhale and exhale while breathing because that is how life is sustained. Both investing and breathing are examples of things that are long-haul habits that pay valuable dividends. Much of our leadership role is to prepare the next leader to handle the baton well. In the sport of track relay races are won and lost by the efficiency of the baton-passing technique. A dropped baton costs time and energy to pick up and start again. Good leaders invest much of their time in training someone to take their place. When someone is ready to take my leadership role, I can move to the next level of the race. The following quote from Dr. Henry Cloud makes sense:
“The number one reason for lack of growth in people’s lives, I have observed, is the absence of joining forces outside themselves who push them to grow.”
When we begin to feel that we can push ourselves to grow, we become inefficient and at best just maintain status quo. I need the outside push. I need a motivating force bigger than me to fuel my move. One of the keys is to be able to pass the present baton and be free to take the new course. The best motivating force I know is the power of the Holy Spirit who takes us to a course “Exceeding, abundantly above all we can ask or think.”
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
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