Lead from Where You Are

“…in God's employee ranking, the person at the desk matters far more than where the desk sits—in the high calling of our daily work.” – Howard Butt, Jr., Laity Lodge

These leadership scenarios are not unusual, particularly in the not-for-profit and human services arena:

• Susan has been passed up for a promotion. Someone from outside the agency has been hired, and Susan has to train the new person.
• Jake has been demoted. His office has been displaced, his pay has been cut, and his schedule flexibility is now gone.
• Marsha has kept her title, position, and pay in the organizational restructuring; but her position has been moved down in the organizational chart to the level of people she previously supervised.

Susan, Jake and Marsha may understandably have strong feelings about their circumstances. Instead of carrying resentment, frustration or negativity, each has an opportunity to develop and demonstrate true leadership—right from where they are. Here are some focus tips that will help them and people in similar situations:

1. Remember Who your real Boss is. Regardless of our place on the organizational chart, we work for the same Person, and are serving those for whom He cares (Colossians 3: 23-24). It’s essential never to lose sight of this, particularly as you move up the organizational ladder.
2. The trauma, the drama--you’re not alone. You’re not the first person to face workplace adversity, and you won’t be the last (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The good news is that it won’t last forever, and things will get better (2 Corinthians 5:17b, Isaiah 43:19). Let the agency leadership and your coworkers see that you are taking the changes all in stride, and are genuinely happy to continue serving the agency’s customers in your current capacity.
3. Service… God calls all leaders to be servants first (Mark 10:43-44). In addition to fully meeting the requirements of your job description, try to leave room and time to support those around you and to help them as best you can to meet the obligations of their positions.
4. …with a Smile! As you’re waiting for a change to come, focus on what’s great about where you are and on how you have more time to develop into the true leader you’d like to be (Psalm 100:2a). Your joy will be contagious.
5. Peace – Strife is stressful and peace is priceless. If workplace drama unfolds, stay out of the middle of it and help mend fences where you can. Building a reputation of being a true peacemaker (Psalm 133:1, James 3:18) can help you on your road to moving into a leadership position.

As you are waiting to move to a higher position, ensure that you are demonstrating solid leadership principles in your daily work, right where you are (Luke 16:10).