I have always appreciated the responsibility and opportunity to be a part of developing leaders. When I became a parent, I resolved in my heart that I will raise my two children to be leaders because the best gift one can give to the next generation is the gift of leadership. So my wife and I raised them to take responsibility and to express thought and feeling and to be involved in leadership opportunities from young.This week, I had the opportunity to teach about 25 interns at church on leadership and I pondered again this difficultly-simple question: “Are Leaders Born or Made?”
I know that God has uniquely wired each of us with specific DNA and for some people that includes the natural ability to take the lead in almost anything. But taking the lead does not make one a leader. It just shows that one is a good initiator or organizer. He may even be a gifted administrator or mobilizer. But that does not make one a leader. Because a leader is more than just an effective organizer or communicator or administrator. A leader is one who brings influence, good or bad. And one can be good at teaching and good and organizing an event or mobilizing a campaign and yet have no influence over the people they 'lead'. Leadership is all about influence!
With this in mind, I find myself instilling things into my two children that will prepare them to be that next generation of leaders and world changers of the future. I want their lives to impact, not just impress. You can impress with your skill sets and charisma but you can only impact with your inner substance and character. Leaders impact more than impress.
If we take a look at the lives of Jesus’ 12 disciples and ask the question: “Were they born leaders?” I would say, probably not! A better question is: “Were they born for leadership?” Absolutely, but not without being molded and shaped into the instruments that Jesus had in mind. He worked on their character. He build into their lives. He taught them to trust in God. He stretched their faith.
None of us are born leaders. But we are all born for leadership and we should place ourselves in the hands of the Lord through mentors and coaches and parents and godly leaders and ministry opportunities so that our lives get shaped and molded for leadership.
And for those of us who are parents, we should raise our children for leadership. It is the most needed gift we can bless the future generation with: godly leaders raised from our homes.
