Capacity for Leadership

Leadership was the area of insufficient capacity in my life that most grabbed my attention at the end of last year. This was where my latest season of seeking increased capacity began. I had accepted a position on my local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) leadership team. I hadn’t been an attendee for two years due to working on the day it is held but deeply missed it as it was a place that saved my sanity in the tough first year of my daughter’s life. When I received the phone call inviting me to this position, my spirit leaped at the opportunity. I didn’t have any doubts that this was the next step God was calling me to take. The reality of what this commitment entailed slowly dawned on me over the next few weeks as I delved deeper into what being a Discussion Group Team leader was supposed to look like. EEK! Could I do this? Was I supposed to be doing this? Was this all just my own pride liking the idea of being labelled a “leader”?

A few months later, when I was feeling more settled in my role, I was approached to join the committee organising the Western Australian MOPS Leaders Conference. I spent some time praying and considering and talking to my husband. I felt God confirm a yes. Another step in increasing my capacity as a leader.

I have come to know more and more that leadership is more an internal state and more about the influence I have in others’ lives than a title or position. My new positions may give me greater opportunities to have influence but they don’t make me a leader.

I have also come to a greater revelation that my only ability to increase capacity is through a deeper relationship with God. My job is to draw near to Him and be obedient to His promptings. This develops who He created me to be. He draws it out from deep places. Subtle changes over time that I don’t even realise until I look back over where I’ve been. I was reflecting recently on all the tasks and projects that I was managing without the crushing sense of overwhelm that would usually accompany so many items on my schedule. That is not to say that I don’t have those feelings fleetingly at times. I definitely have to re-evaluate often.

My capacity has already come so far. I have no idea where this journey of leadership is taking me, but I trust that each step I say yes to is another step onward. It really isn’t about the destination either. I am aiming to stay focused on just the next right thing in front of me.

Over the course of this 31 Day series, I will be sharing more of what has aided in this process and what resources have inspired and equipped me so stay tuned!

This post is part of a series called “My journey of increasing capacity” written as part of the Write 31 Days challenge. To read other posts in this series please click on the button below, in the side bar or on the Write 31 Days 2015 tab at the top.