Doing the Undesirable

Leadership is a simple yet complicated gift. How does one lead others? What are the responsibilities of a leader? Those are the first questions that come to mind when I examine myself as one. I could talk about leadership forever but there's one thing that I feel every leader who asks those questions should know.

That very thing was something I've had to endure many times over. Some of those instances were more rememberable than others. As a leader I wanted to keep knocking on the door of opportunity (ref.Matthew 7:7-8), so I applied to become a Residential Assistant. Every leadership position is different and equally challenging. I went through what's called RA Experience Weekend. That was a time where I was evaluated on how well a RA applicant reacts and handles all the given scenarios. The Residential Director evaluating the group of applicants I was a part of had his ways of teaching us the importance of leadership.

During the weekend we did the exact opposite of every other group...we sweat! We couldn't eat without carrying someone on our backs to the dining hall. We couldn't go to the next training room without performing tripwire crawls down the halls while dragging someone who wasn't allowed to move along. And every once and a while we'd carry "Levi", a 60-70 pound 5 foot tree log, blindfolded while having to do sit-ups every so many feet of carrying it blindfolded. It was bootcamp for leaders!

Why am I telling you all of this? Our Residential Director asked a similar question. "Do you know why I'm making you all do this?" Our hands couldn't have gone up any faster. "It was to demonstrate how leaders must go through things they don't want to do. Leadership isn't always easy. Sometimes you even have to carry the weight of others in order to advance the kingdom.

Like I said, I could talk about the definition and the role of a leader. But something I've found to be one of the most important things to know as a leader, or to be a leader, is doing the things you don't want to do to for the sake of those who follow you. Your disciplines and integrity become stronger and foundational for God's glory.

So what are you willing to do that you don't want to?