The Catalyst Leader: Eight Essentials for Becoming a Change Maker-Passionate

            Leadership is one of those themes that emerge throughout every area of life.  Early in life we begin seeing this as we follow the instruction of our teachers.  Later maybe a coach, teacher, or friend begins to speak into our lives directing the path that we will follow.  As life continues we see dating relationships, college, and the workforce enter the picture.  In every situation leaders emerge to guide and direct us or perhaps in many cases we emerge as the leader ourselves. 

Developing positive leadership attributes can be a challenging thing because often times we wonder where to even try to start.  Author Brad Lomenick outlines eight key principles that he believes to be crucial to leadership in his book The Catalyst Leader.  After working with countless young leaders and listening to the voices of several amazing leaders Brad has developed an understanding of some key qualities in the arena of leadership.

            He begins by outlining the principles of calling and authenticity in leadership.  He states that is necessary to know your calling in life in order to be a good leader.  Last week I explored his thoughts on authenticity which allows leaders the freedom to be themselves but also to be “real” with other people through admitting their mistakes, listening to feedback, and adjusting their approach.

This week I will continue exploring the contents of this book by looking at theme of passion.  I must admit that when I first began reading this chapter of the book I started thinking about areas or things that I was passionate about, however Brad chose to take a completely different approach by focusing on living in pursuit of God.  As I worked through this chapter I began to see how God had intentionally crafted several experiences in my life to make me into the leader I am today, simply because I was passionate about reaching others for His Glory.  Some of these experiences include:

·         A public speaking contest that my parents entered me into in middle school.  This taught me to speak in front of large groups of people and learn the importance of practicing what I would be talking about.

·         A few bad dating relationships in high school, which taught me not only about heartache but also compassion towards others who may be going through a challenging situation.

·         A youth pastor and a Fellowship of Christian Athletes Director who believed that God was calling me into full-time ministry and pushed me to pursue this calling even when I thought I couldn’t.

·         Going to a Bible-based college to learn more about God’s Word and how to connect it to other people.

As I reflected upon these items I began to see not only the connection between these life events and the calling that I am now fulfilling in youth ministry but also God’s passion for me.  God desires to see me succeed in life, and the same is true for you.  I am sure that I am not the only person who has seen the seasons of life heading in a positive direction when you are pursuing God and then take a detour when your focus shifts off of Him. 

If you are struggling with being passionate towards God, Brad outlines three things that can help us refocus and help us push the accelerator in our relationship with God.

·         Follow Christ wherever you are-“Being a change maker means realizing that commitment to God and passion cannot be compartmentalized” (p. 52).  Seek to follow God with every area of your life, as there shouldn’t be anything that you do, say, or think that shouldn’t belong to Him.

·         Glorify God-“We can’t live for God if we don’t connect with God” (p. 61).  Everything that we say, do, and think should glorify and honor God.  If you are struggling in this area don’t worry there are several others who wrestle with this daily.  But in order to reach your full potential you must develop a contagious love for the One who has called you.

·         Seeking God’s Face-“As Christians, spiritual passion has to begin with the Scriptures.  God has spoken to His people through the Bible, and we must cling to His Word” (p. 63).  We must be willing to look for God not only in our circumstances but also through the study of His Word.  By learning from the men and women of the Bible we can better develop an understanding of God and how to follow Him.

Author and speaker Priscilla Shirer sums up the theme of passion by saying, “The pinnacle of your Christian experience should be when you take everything that you’ve learned on the pew of your church, and it’s mattered on the pavement of your life’s circumstances.”  Our passion for God should ooze from every area of our life as it did through the men and women of the Bible.  By having this passion for God, we will become better leaders who help shape not only others in our immediate circle but also the world.