There Is NO SCRIPT for Leadership!

I'm just wrapping up "Linchpin" by Seth Godin. While I plan to eventually write a review over this book, I wanted to share a very simple idea/quote with you. Near the very end of the book Godin says, "There's no script for leadership. There can't be!" Let it stew for a moment.

I know, all the pastors, ministers, and especially uptight Beth Moore devotional groupies out there are going to initially say, "Well, what about the Bible? Wasn't Jesus the perfect model of a leader?" Yes. Do you feel better now? I said it. Yes. Absolutely! (I even added an exclamation point) But you're missing the point. There's a standard - even what we might call a "manual" - but there is NO SCRIPT! Jesus never said "When it's time to decide whether or not to build again or branch out and plant something new, here's what you do." There's no biblical "read this aloud" antidote for a pastor on the best way to find and hire a new staff member or build a team or help someone see that the ministry endeavor they embarked on 10 years ago has rendered itself irrelevant and needs to be sacked. Leadership is often about the willingness to say, "I'm not sure" and simultaneously having the guts to act. Or as Godin always says, "...to ship"!

Pastors and leaders keep going to conferences and looking for the next best thing or big idea - so many keep searching for someone else's "art" (or creation) or model to shove their church or organization into and sit perplexed as to why it won't fit and doesn't work. The reason this keeps happening - one of the reasons, anyway - is because it's just a whole lot easier! It takes a lot less effort and emotional leverage and sweat and prayer to just copy someone else. But that's only the half of it. The other side is - sorry about this - it's safer to have someone else to blame. After all, if I copy your way of doing things and it fails miserably, I can just blame you! (And don't think I won't!) Leadership involves RISK! Yes, leadership involves preparation - but part of that is being prepared for the fact that there are certain things you're going to face that NO ONE has written out a How-To-Manual to walk you through it. Sometimes it's "Live without a net". And if you're a leader - as much as this can tax on you and wipe you out - you know that your Creator wired you this way.

You are called to be YOU! Have courage. Trust that you have what it takes and that with the Lord's guidance - with the Word of God in your heart and mind and the Holy Spirit guiding and leading you - you can lead. Make no mistake: you are going to fail! But if you don't fail every once-in-awhile, you're not leading!

What do you think about Godin's statement? Is there a script?
Are you ready to walk the wire without a net?