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Your job, your organization, your ministry, your community, even your family, is limited to the level of your leadership.
This is called the Law of the Lid, which means the leader is the lid for the area they oversee. That also means that everything from creativity, to innovation, to growth and expansion, everything raises and falls to the level of your leadership.
That’s eye opening and draw dropping when you think about and begin to evaluate where you are currently, but we must always be aware of our personal leadership. So to help you, we provided you practical ways to avoid becoming one of the “lids” that describe the different types of leaders listed below.
- An Unproductive Leader
We must always continue developing our skills, our character, our perspective, our vision, our passion, our dependence on God, ourselves. Constant evaluation of yourself and your motives is necessary and vital to your personal growth and development.
We can never stop learning. Some key ways to always develop yourself is by listening to podcasts and sermons, becoming an avid reader of blogs, newspapers, magazines, books. Attend conferences and seminars. We have the knowledge of the world at our fingertips that come to us in real-time. Keep feeding yourself.
Because if you’re not growing you’re dying and if you stop learning, you stop leading.
- A Careless Leader
What drives you? What wakes you up in the morning? What keeps you up at night?
The leader who stops caring about what their passionate about won’t last long, whatever it’s for. If you stop caring about people, purpose, passions, priorities, problems, you will eventually stop leading.
When you don’t feel passionate, act passionately. It’s easier to act your way into a feeling than it is to feel your way into an action. Leaders don’t have the luxury of not caring because they lose the right to think about themselves.
If you really stop caring, mediocrity will transcend into those you lead if this is found in any area of your life.
- An Inattentive Leader
Always listen and be sensitive to others. (James 1:19)
Encourage the people you serve to talk to you. Let them tell you about their problems, their passions, their troubles, their fears, their aspirations, their dreams, and their hurts. Be open to suggestions, and constructive feedback. Look and listen for other’s perspectives. Everyone’s perspective is not accurate, but everyone’s is valid.
- A Distracted Leader
Many things can become a distraction for us. Personal or health problems, competing interests, finances, family etc.
I believe what Satan can’t destroy, he will distract.
The truth is Satan doesn’t care if you’re sinning while your distracted, because as long as you are distracted, you aren’t doing what God wants/needs you to do in the earth.
Simply stated. Stay focused. Remind yourself everyday of your priorities and values. Write them down.
- A Stagnant Leader
Complacency is the enemy of every leader. In the world of having everything so accessible it’s easy to get lazy. However, there are times where you do need to relax and rest. But there’s a thin-line between being a couch potato and a workaholic. The key hear is to find balance, and remember this… You cannot reach your calling in your comfort zone.
So schedule what matters most. Discipline yourself to keep a calendar. Set deadlines.
“Complacency is the number one killer of destiny.”
- A Prideful Leader
When a leader becomes arrogant and prideful, their leadership is coming to an end, because it always leads to ruin. (Proverbs 16:18)
If you sense that you’ve become arrogant and prideful in your leadership, humble yourself. In the words of Kendrick Lamar, “Be humble, sit down.” Let someone you respect speak honestly to you about your leadership with taking offense.
Submit your heart to God for softening.
- An Oblivious Leader
When you begin to plateau, and you will. This is God’s subtle way of telling us that we’ve reached the limit of what He’s empowered us to do by ourselves. We need to always move from doing to delegating.
Now there’s a big difference between delegating and dumping.
However, involve and invite other people into your calling. Let them participate in what you’re passionate about and help them to reach their passions.
If you never let other people lead, you will become the lid for your organization. So learn to delegate to prevent putting a lid on your growth as well as others.
“I’d rather put ten men to work, than do the work of ten men.”
– D.L. Moody
Avoiding these leadership lids are the key to an organization, a job, a ministry, a community, a calling, a life that lasts.
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