The Importance of Personal Growth as a Leader

How are you growing as a leader in the ministry you serve? You may think, “Ugh really? I don’t have time to grow, I am drowning.” Or your response may be, “ I have so much growing to do and I don’t know where to start.” Regardless of where you are as a leader, I hope what I’m about to share will help you.

I have been studying the book of Nehemiah and found many parallels that align with the time I was a leader in the pregnancy center in which I served. The first thing that hit me was the fact that Nehemiah went from being a royal cupbearer to the governor of Judah. Were you like me? Did you start out as a receptionist, development director, client services director, or even a volunteer in the ministry you serve? I did! Within six years God moved me to a larger pregnancy resource center in a metro area and within a few years I was asked to be the Executive Director.

I knew I had leadership capabilities and had used them in smaller various ways throughout my life; but to lead a staff and approximately forty volunteers was different, to say the least. Nehemiah’s leadership qualities included:

· Profound prayer life – communicate with God.

· Vision – empower and clearly communicate to the team.

· Adaptability – adapt well to change and opposition.

· Foresight – forward strategic thinking.

Nehemiah and I were ordinary people in servant positions called to be leaders. By praying to God for discernment, Nehemiah followed God’s calling to rebuild the walls of the city of Jerusalem. In doing so, he enacted various leadership strategies in addition to the one that came most naturally to him as a devout person of faith; namely, prayer. The additional strategies defined him as a transformational leader. Every person serving under you NEEDS a leader. I feel sure you are a good leader or God wouldn’t have called you to where you are today. Just make sure that you are growing and transforming in your leadership because your staff, volunteers, and clients need you to be.

At Five Stone Mentoring, we are here to ensure the leaders we are walking with are growing personally. We see how their growth is pivotal to the growth of the organization. If you need guidance in growing yourself personally as a leader, don't hesitate to reach out to us!

Jennifer