A Good Leader is a Good Follower. AKA Playing By Ear.

Written for a church newsletter issue on Leadership:

As I was thinking of ideas on leadership for this article, my mind was drawn to many people I’ve watched, places I’ve been, and things I’ve heard and read over the years. I honestly can say, I would never have chosen the role of a leader, and for most of my life was never chosen as the leader.

My brothers, both great ball players, never picked me first for our backyard teams or to play an important position. I often was relegated as an outfielder and certainly not strategically placed in the batting lineup. I was usually first up and I know you can guess why. But I do remember surprising them by cracking the bat with a great fly ball over the centerfield’s head and once making a center court swish! The operative word here was ‘once.’

Growing up, I never made first string or even chamber choir. It didn’t bother me. I was content just getting to play the game or be part of the ‘mixed choir.’ But I do remember, sitting in the corner of the choir loft watching a young girl sing a beautiful solo at her brother’s baptism and thinking to myself how evident was her love for her brother and her Savior. In those moments, I heard the quiet gentle voice of the Lord saying, “You’re going do that for Me one day.” Today, I can still feel the excited beats of my heart and the grave fear that seized it the very next second. “Who me? I don’t read a lick of music, can’t play an instrument, I can only follow along with what I hear. Lord, but I do love the way music moves my soul.”

I guess to the Lord, that was all the criteria I needed to begin the journey. Putting away my ‘budding’ sports career, I stuck with singing. It was years before I actually ever sang ‘up front,’ and even years later before I had a solo line in a song. And honestly, I didn’t aspire to it, I didn’t even raise my hand when parts were given out. The only audience I ever had was my dog and one time the neighbor boy spied on me as I sang songs sitting on boxes in the carport the day before we moved 1,000 miles away. And that wasn’t very long, for when I spotted him I scurried down the boxes and out of sight, vowing to never open my mouth again!

But the Lord had other thoughts in mind.

I guess you could say that I did a lot of learning by following others. There was my piano extraordinaire Mom, and my Dad with a great voice, southern gospel singers, choir directors, and a friend - seeing my panic stricken face when the choir director decided he needed more altos than sopranos – who said, “Don’t worry I’ll teach you to sing harmony, just follow me.”

Today, I often lead worship but my greatest joy in leadership is watching a team giving their very best in worship to our Lord and encouraging them to grow in their love for Him and their leadership. No, I still don’t read music but I can find middle C. And I do still follow what I hear, and that is my Savior calling me on to continue listening and learning, to cheer fellow leaders in sharing their God-given gifts with others in this arena we call Worship Leading.

So here’s my leadership challenge to you today, “What is God whispering in your ear?”