I urge you, as a leader of women to read this post by guest blogger Becky Badry, founder and director of Women in Leadership Coaching and Ministers’ Wives leader for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.
As I waited for my connecting flight I decided to take advantage of the extended layover and go for a walk. Trust me; walking through airports is not one of my favorite pastimes, because when you have travelled as much as I have airports all look the same. However, this time I noticed a sign that caught my eye. It was not your typical airport advertising. The sign simply read, “The value of a leader is in direct proportion to the leader’s values.” I found it interesting that the statement was not attributed to anyone in particular, that it was in an unexpected location and wasn’t the title of the latest and greatest leadership book. Regardless, it got my attention, and continues to cross my mind, shaping my ministry, and in fact, become a foundational statement I share with leaders.
In a time when the leadership developmental profile of academic achievement, competency and productivity seem to be king, we need to be reminded as Christian leaders that God’s plan for leading is based on “being” before “doing.” We must first and foremost establish boundaries and parameters of what we will and will not do as leaders based on Whose we are and who we are supposed to be according to biblical, theological and spiritual disciplines. Unless we establish boundaries of what we won’t do, we may never get to what we are supposed to do.
That airport sign, in an unexpected place, was a catalyst that stirred in me the need to develop a personal list of values in my life as a leader. Have I allowed the lessons I have learned to forge core-convictions that will shape my actions and decisions? Once I focused on how God had shaped me and discovered and listed the personal values that will intentionally guide my life, ministry and works I challenged my team to individually do the same.
Our next step was to develop a list of value statements we would commit to as a team that would become our guidelines for ministry and interaction. I have discovered the value of this experience has been invaluable. Making present commitments personally and as a team has helped me and my team avoid future failures and misunderstandings.
Here are a few of my personal leadership values:
1. Integrity
2. Vulnerability
3. Courage
4. Wisdom
5. Family
6. Servanthood
7. Authority
8. Teamwork
Team Values include:
1. A personal relationship with God, through Jesus Christ empowered by the Holy Spirit
2. The Bible as the guiding principles and authority
3. Individuality expressed through our Divine Design
4. Honest, open communication
5. Unity
I encourage you to engage in this exercise. The Proverbs 31 woman represents the standards of a woman with values which were not subjected to current culture, popular belief or a desire for greatness. Her standards were unchangeable, unshakeable virtues.
Resources:
Women Reaching Women
Transformed Lives
The Character of Leadership, Jeff Iorg
Spiritual Leadership, Blackaby
Becky is the founder and director of Women in Leadership Coaching and Ministers’ Wives leader for BGCO. She formerly served as Director of Women’s Resources and Missions Mobilization for the Colorado Baptist Convention before moving to Wewoka, OK where her husband is pastoring. Becky is a minister’s wife, women’s ministry leader, speaker, conference leader, Lifeway Ministry Multiplier and author. She has a passion to see women’s ministry leaders’ and ministers’ wives find the encouragement needed to faithfully fulfill God’s call in life. After completing her Women’s Ministry Certification at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, and graduating from Golden Gate Theological Seminary with a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, in 2012 she received the Educational Leadership Service in Ministry Award. Becky is also a contributing author to Transformed Lives: Taking Women’s Ministry to the Next Level. Jay and Becky have two adult sons, Jeremy and Justin, and a wonderful daughter –in-law, Rochelle.
