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Check Your Ego: 3 Benefits of Shared Leadership

Are you robbing others of a chance to experience God’s grace in serving?

Are you complaining that you don’t have enough support?


Who’s doing ministry with you? Shared leadership is biblical and yet so many lead churches and ministries with a hierarchical framework. Romans 12, Ephesians, and Corinthians 12 all speak to the interconnectedness of the body of Christ and the relatedness of spiritual gifts.


God-gifted folks are in our congregations and yet we overlook them, ignore them, and simultaneously complain. This New Year invite more people than ever to serve in the ministry.


Benefits of shared leadership are exponential but here are 3.


  1. God’s Way - Rooted in scripture, we see Jesus (with the 12) as well as the others like Moses and Aaron share leadership.

  2. Gifts on Display - One of the most beautiful and powerful things to witness is someone leading and serving from their giftedness! You want to see people light up or joy restored to their life - validate their gifts and invite them to serve.

  3. Well of wisdom - When others are invited to contribute to the wisdom of the ministry, there is newfound depth that a solo leader alone cannot muster. The ministry benefits from a multiplicity of views. Therefore decision making feels inclusive and creates a sense of ownership.


So what came up for you while reading these? Did you have any immediate reaction against or hesitation? I get it. Shared leadership helps put our egos in check. It’s humbling for the leader to share space (intellectual, physical spiritual) with others - and yet this is the way God orchestrated the church.


There is also generosity in shared leadership. Making room for others’ gifts allows them a chance to be praised, seen, grow and even to trust God. Imagine who they will become because of your generous, shared leadership?


After all, we’re called to shared leadership not competition.

 


Action Brings Clarity

  • Check Yourself - if you notice resistance to this concept consider speaking with a spiritual director, coach or therapist to unlock what’s going on inside of you.

  • List invites - Who will you ask to serve? Or whose gifts are not apparent and therefore meet with them to learn more about them.

  • Keep reading - Throughout this month I’ll be share a way that I’m sharing leadership with you and another blog in making the ask to serve.

  • Share this with someone who might benefit.

 


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