Growing into Leadership (2)

“I, Tertius, the one writing this letter for Paul, send my greetings.”                          Ro 16:22 NLT
Growing into Leadership (2)
Paul surrounded himself with people who were willing to lay down their lives for him (See Ro 16:3-4). Some of them are virtually unknown. Ever hear of Tertius? He recorded Paul’s thoughts so we could read them. We all know about Timothy, but do you know about Gaius? “He is my host and also serves as host to the whole church” (Ro 16:23 NLT). Many served in the shadows so Paul could work in the limelight. Sadly, when some leaders arrive at the top they spend their time trying to push others off it. They play “king of the hill” because of immaturity, insecurity and competitiveness. That may work for a time, but it doesn’t last long. When your goal is to knock others down, your time and energy are spent watching out for people you think would do the same to you. It’s a miserable way to live, and it’s no fun for those who have to work with you. Jules Ormont said, “A great leader never sets himself above his followers except in carrying responsibilities.” If you’re in a leadership position, don’t rely on your title to convince people to follow you. Build relationships. Win people over. When you don’t love people, you’re only a few steps away from manipulating them. When that happens you’ll have a high turnover. A few years ago the three great tenors—José Carreras, Plácido Domingo, and Luciano Pavarotti—were performing together. When a reporter tried to find out if there was any rivalry among the superstars, Domingo said, “No, you can’t be rivals when you’re together making music.”

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