Recently a friend shared with me a book by John Maxwell in which I discovered a wonderful acrostic for the word PURPOSE.

P= Pray
U= Unite
R= Risk
P= Plan
O= Observe
S= Sacrifice
E= Expect

Let’s use these seven keywords to lead us in discovering how we can embody leadership for our team and our church body.

Pray. The heart of a leader is born out of prayer. Your time in prayer for those whom you are leading brings your heart and focus into alignment with them and the will of God in a way which nothing else can. Pray daily. Pray earnestly. Pray without ceasing over your team, for your team, and with your team.

Unite. As a leader, you must not only lead your team to unite with the vision within you, but you must also unite yourself with them. Make the effort and find the time to understand exactly where each team member is. Get to know them, their dreams, visions, heart, and passions. Uniting with them where they are will enable you to lead them to where both you and they are going.

Risk. Are you willing to risk it? Do you play it safe and only lead as far as you feel comfortable? If so, then you will never reach your potential and, many times, you will never experience the fulfillment of your own vision and dreams.

Plan. Every leader has a plan whether they realize it or not because, when a leader does not plan, that leader is in reality planning for failure. Could you simply purchase all of the parts to a jet airplane and trust that somehow they will be assembled into something you would trust to use for travel? Of course not. Develop a plan in which your team can properly implement all of the elements to reach its goal.

Observe. Have you ever heard someone say, “I didn’t see that coming”? Learn to observe. Attentiveness is a key quality in successful leadership which will aid you in preventing unnecessary problems and avoiding unwanted struggles.

Sacrifice. Are you willing to sacrifice? Being a leader does not mean that you will always sacrifice, but it does mean that you must be willing to sacrifice. Your team will go the extra mile and make the extra effort toward success when they know that you are willing to do what it takes to get there as well.

Expect. You will only ever rise as high as your expectations. When your expectations are low, your accomplishments will be low. When you truly expect more, then you will begin to experience more.

Take a few moments to carefully consider these seven key areas of your leadership.

Gary R. Linn