“When you were made a leader, you weren’t given a crown; you were given the responsibility to bring out the best in others.” ~ Jack Welch
Hands down, Vacation Bible School is my favorite church event. Children, youth and adults gather for five evenings to learn Bible stories. They expect to have food, fun and fellowship. They anticipate even more. The people desire to be encouraged and enlightened through relevant, relational Bible Study.
By the end of the week, everyone is full on the experience. Now the work begins. It is time to internalize the information and live into the lessons daily. After all, the true purpose of Vacation Bible School is to provoke personal growth. The Biblical lessons are germane for every life experience under the sun.
This year’s theme was “Glow For Jesus: Let Your Light Shine.” The curriculum, published by Urban Ministries, urges people to be of utmost character, high morals and sound ethics. Stories about Moses, Ruth, Paul and Silas, to name a few, exemplify ordinary people striving to lead and support others by being a light in a dark world.
As I reflected on these lessons, I looked beyond what the message meant for my Christian walk. I pondered what did I learn this week about leadership? How can this information empower me and others to become better leaders?
Personally, I gained five useful leadership lessons during Vacation Bible School this year.
1. Attitude is key.
The true work of leadership is within our hearts and minds. Purity, kindness, humility and peaceable are model traits. Leaders bless their team members when they exemplify beautiful attitudes. Even better, the leaders are blessed in return by their good deeds and lasting impact on the lives of others. Attitude can make or break your day. A positive attitude is good for you, your team and your organization.
2. Passion is powerful.
You may know the phrase, “love what you do and do what you love.” This certainly rings true for leaders. It is imperative to love your career choice, your organization and most of all the people you lead day in and day out. Passion creates excitement. Passion provides meaning. Most of all, passion drives progress.
3. Teamwork is essential.
Leaders should cultivate collaboration and eliminate personal competition. Effective leaders know their strength and value. They work to complement, not omit their team members and colleagues. Leaders also help others identify their strengths and work harmoniously in the organization. Teams achieve more when individuals are valued for their unique talents, skills and experiences.
4. Praise is infectous.
Successful leaders make it a priority to praise their team members. Praise communicates that as the leader I see, appreciate, respect and honor YOU! Public praise signals that credit is given where credit is due. It is encouraging for the recipient and the observers. Praise emanates good vibes over and over again.
5. Imagination is liberating.
Taking time to unlock your imagination sparks creativity and innovation. Creative teams embrace open communication and idea sharing. Effective leaders welcome brainstorming and out of the box concepts. They know that imagination represents the possibilities of what we can be and achieve. Imagination paints a picture of a better, brighter future.
Photo by Thomas Rey on Unsplash
