Written by Have you ever worked under a great boss? What about a not so great one? Have you ever wished a supervisor would do something a certain way for you or care in meaningful ways? Have you had a boss who wasn’t just a good supervisor but also a good shepherd?
I’ve been in ministry for a long time and I’ve worked in a variety of jobs outside of ministry. In every single one of those jobs I had supervisors. Whether it was a lieutenant, a board of elders, an executive or senior pastor, managers, or an account supervisor, I’ve always had someone to whom I reported. With in each of those settings I can point to good and bad moments.
But here’s the thing: we often tend to remember the bad moments, the moments we weren’t cared for well, the moments our supervisors didn’t do something we wished they had, or times when those supervisors just weren’t good supervisors. And if you’re like me, you probably have focused on that way too much. Now understand, I’m not saying people shouldn’t be held accountable and I’m also not telling you to just knuckle under.
Instead, what if rather than focusing on the disappointment and discouragement that can and will come from faulty leadership, we utilized that passion and tension in a positive way. Imagine if we leveraged that as a growth opportunity for ourselves to be the best supervisor we can be! I’m not saying there’s no accountability for those in authority over you and I’m not saying that you’re the problem. Instead, I’m challenging each of us to be the supervisor we wished we had.
We all know what we have desired in a supervisor. Maybe you have had a great one and want to model your leadership after them. Perhaps you had one who didn’t afford you what you needed and now you know what a supervisor should do. What we must do as leaders is take a look at our history of supervisors and use that to cultivate the supervisor we need to be. Take the good, the bad, and the indifferent and learn from it. Be willing to discern those moments and use them to transform how you lead.
Some of my greatest strengths as a leader have come from learning from those who led me. And some of the ways I lead flow out of a desire to lead differently. But in all of those moments, I ask myself if I am leading in a way I would want to be led. Am I listening? Is my team being empowered and released to utilize their strengths? Have I been a good encourager? Have I helped my team grow and flourish? Am I willing to engage, even the hard moments, when needed? Do I have my team’s back? Am I okay with my team succeeding even if it moves the spotlight off of me?
These aren’t all the questions a good leader should be asking, but they are a starting point. Whether you’re supervising staff, leading volunteers, shepherding students, or preparing to lead, thinking through these questions and gaining insight from good leaders and mentors will help to shape you as a healthy leader. By leading others well, we are cultivating not only our own abilities but shaping future leaders to also be healthy and beneficial.
kalosministry.net 