Lessons in Leadership

I am leading a local (Singapore) outreach team for the DTS that I am staffing at the moment. It has been a major learning curve for me. I am halfway through the tens days, but here are some lessons I have been learning so far:

1. Lose Control

When I try to control the program, the outcomes, the attitudes, etc in my team that is when I get utterly frustrated and pent up. I cannot control every circumstance or incident. I need to 'let go' and trust God that the things that need to be done will be done.

2. Let Life Be Messy

Life is not neatly packaged and to expect it to be so is unrealistic.

3. Value the Relationships

 When I look back over these five days, the moments when I was most energized and 'alive' are the times I stopped and chatted with the students one on one, when I stole a moment to truly connect without any agenda. When I put task over relationships, I was disappointed and my expectations were not met. When ‘relationship’ is the ‘task’, then every moment where I focus on the relationship accomplishes the ‘task’.

4. Success Belongs to God Alone

In the end, the success or failure of this team is not in my hands. As long as I honestly do the absolute best that I know how to do, then that is 'success' to God. God does not ask for better than my best.

Since coming to that place this afternoon, I feel so much more peaceful and at ease with myself, with the team and with God.