For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb,
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Ps 139: 13-14
I have been neglecting this blog recently! I apologize for the delay in posting. I left Maine on Thursday for a weekend leadership retreat at my soon to be new church in Seattle. After a complete day of travel, I arrived safe and sound in Seattle. I probably should have written on Friday morning, but I did not. Then the weekend really got busy. Monday I spent the whole day flying back home. Yesterday I did not know if I was going or coming. Now it has been a week since I last wrote. Again, sorry faithful readers!
This weekend I discussed the topic of leadership. I began my life in a new church by using the Strength-Finder's material to describe who God has made me. I recommend this material to anyone who wishes to discover their natural strengths.
Strength-Finder 2.0 can be accessed by purchasing one of their books. There is a code in back, which allows you to take the on-line test. Through a series of questions, the on-line resource helps access your top five strengths. Someone was telling me you can get the order of all 34 strengths for only a nominal fee of $500 or so. Personally, I will stick with the top five!
I do recommend this test. I have taken many personality tests and such. I find often these tests demonstrate more how I felt on a certain day than who I am. In fact, I have taken some tests multiple times, and I have found the tests pointing in opposite directions depending upon when I took them!
In terms of the Strength-Finder's test, I have taken it two times. The first time I did it to help a fellow pastor who was going through the training. He needed another test taker immediately. I really did not have time to do it, but I agreed to help him out.
I took the test in a hurry. It asks questions of which you prefer on a scale of 1 to 7. For the first 100 questions, I answered each question in 2 seconds or less with either a 1 or 7. At that point, I knew the program would think I was insane and impulsive. I finished the test, but took it with a grain of salt.
Then I got the results. I found it helpful that it listed what each strength meant for how I approached the world. I also found it very accurate as to how each strength also has possible weakness. In 20 years of ministry, I had found these weakness to true in my life. As I talked with my pastor friend/Strength-Finder trainer and several other friends about the test, all affirmed they thought it was an accurate picture of my greatest strengths.
I was skeptical. It ends up that one of my greatest strengths is strategy, and I figured I could throw the test if I wanted to. I also figured that it ended up with the published results (like saying I have the gift of self-confidence) because of the way I took the test.
I really did not pay the test much attention for the next year. Then, Borders went out of business. As it was closing, I purchased several leadership books at a huge discount. One of these books was Strength-finders for Leadership.
I decided to re-take the test. I would do it under a new name, so my past time taking the test would not shade my results. This time I took the test being careful to answer each question with thought and less impulsiveness. I honestly and painstakingly went through the test. Then I got the results.
To my amazement, I had the same top five strengths. The order was slightly different, but the same five were there. I believe this illustrates an accurate and helpful test.
At the Leadership retreat, I began by sharing my strengths as illustrated by the test. I also shared that my strengths also mean some will misinterpret who I am. For example, my number one strength is context. I want to know about everyone's past. I want to know about a ministry's or church's past. I want to know context! Why? So I can use my second strength, which is strategy. I use context to determine how to relate and move forward in the present and future.
What does this mean? I ask a lot of questions. I ask these questions of individuals and I ask them in a group setting. Why? Not because I wish to be a pain, but because I want to know why and how you think. To some this can be very disconcerting! I tried to share that I do not wish to make someone feel on the spot, but I do wish to know them.
Another one of my top five strengths is self-assurance. This gift means I have an inherit confidence in my abilities and in what I do. Personally, I think it means that if I feel like God is leading, I will move forward without question or doubt. This is a helpful strength for leadership as it does help give confidence to others.
Yet, it also can be seen as arrogance. This is particularly true if someone does not have that same sense of confidence! So I tried to share that I need folks to give me the benefit of the doubt when I am confident in what I can or cannot do. I truly do not mean it as arrogance! In fact, I am more than willing to confess my weaknesses! I want to be approachable and I want to know people.
One thing I have learned in my years of ministry is that all of us cannot help but lead from our strengths. This is because we should be who Go made us to be! It is really no good "faking it until we make it." God can and does use all of us and He does use every personality type and strength mix in building His Kingdom. He can use you! (Another of my strengths is activator. It means I naturally seek to encourage others to do what God is calling them to do. Ironic isn't it!)
The problem is that so many of us take too much time focusing on our weakness instead of our strengths. We seek to build up that which is weak or not natural and neglect working within our God-given strengths. Such labor will lead to burnout, stress, and great frustration.
In other words, know your strengths and work within them!
That being said, it is true that all of our strengths also have potentially negative relationship and directional issues built into them. Why? Not everyone is like us! Furthermore we live in a fallen world and we are fallen people. We must be aware of our potential weakness and confess them. If we hurt others, we need to repent and be open to correction. Christian Leadership means true humility.
This post is getting long, so I will end here. Hopefully tomorrow I will share more thoughts concerning leadership.
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