Great Leaders Take Advice
Leaders in our churches usually have a two-pronged job: Keep the vision before the people and oversee the management of ministry. Either of these can be full-time work, but daily life does not separate neatly into categories. Both have to be done! Together these jobs can cause leaders to fall into the downward spiral of working long hours, experiencing stress, and eventually suffering burnout.
Moses' father-in-law, Jethro, visited him when Moses was only a couple of months into the wilderness journey. Jethro watched Moses for a day and could see Moses beginning the downward spiral toward burnout. Jethro said, "What you are doing is not good. You will surely wear yourself out, both you and these people with you. For the task is too heavy for you, you can not do it alone" (Exodus 18:17, 18, NRSV).
The wisdom of this passage is that Moses actually listened to Jethro! We have all received criticism. Our human tendency is to close our ears when someone says, "What you are doing is not good." We sink deeper into the dark hole of overwork, stress, and burnout; and it is hard to listen to advice. It becomes harder to turn problems into opportunities and harder to learn from our mistakes. We dismiss others rather than listen to them.
Try completing this sentence: The greatest barrier to change in our church is _________. Now try putting your own name in the blank. When does it fit? Do you need some time listening?
Betsey Heavner (bheavner@gbod.org) is Director of FaithQuest at The United Methodist General Board of Discipleship, Nashville, Tennessee.
Page 2: Lovett Weems's Thoughts on Leadership