One of the more compelling speakers at the Global leadership conference was Carla Harris.
Over the next several posts I will share what she calls, Carla’s Pearls of Leadership. And it’s all in the letters of the word L.E.A.D.E.R.

Leaders need to leverage other relationships to be successful. – Carla Harris

You could read that quote and mistaken it for a selfish, “me first” approach to leadership, where you use people on your climb to the top.

L = Leverage
I view this from the shepherd’s heart. Our relationships are the key to life and ministry. If you view this from a biblical perspective it is centered on humility. The writer of Proverbs summarizes this well.

“When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” – Proverbs 11:2

As a servant leader, you may not always have the best idea, nor the expertise but someone on your ministry team has access to the information. Using leverage means you seek help from those who have the God-given ability and knowledge to bless the greater kingdom goals. Your job as a leader is to create, encourage and release other leaders. “It’s not about the execution but about empowering other people. The more you give away, the more you create a powerful leverage.” Carla Harris

E = Efficiency
Even in the face of obscurity, you must still define what success looks like. – Carla Harris

“If you want to be a powerful, impactful and influential leader, you must be clear about what success looks like.” As a church, we struggle to define success. Talking that way seems unfaithful to the mission of God, yet God defines success. Churches get stuck when the goal is unclear.

Here are examples of God defining success.

And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; wage war against them until you have wiped them out.’- 1 Samuel 15:18

And a more positive mission. God’s will for Christ Jesus.

10 Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
11 After he has suffered,
he will see the light of life and be satisfied;
by his knowledge, my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53: 10-12

In ministry and life don’t be afraid to take chances. Chances are you will fail and when you do, celebrate the mistakes. A mistake can be as valuable as a success.