Restoring Rhythm to your Leadership

For the last couple of blogs we've been talking about a leader's Rhythm. Today, I want to give you a few thoughts on how to restore your life and leadership to a healthy rhythm if you find that it's not a sustainable pace.

1. Seek Jesus to see if He's trying to advance your life to a new rhythm. I think that we, as human beings, and as God's children, are capable of far more than we think we are. I think that we sorely underestimate our potential as leaders and followers of Jesus. Therefore, I think that God uses seasons of our life to get us to recognize that we have "gears" that we never even knew we had. It's like an engine. If I try and go 60 mph in 2nd gear, my engine will be running way too hot and making all kinds of loud whiny noises. But, if I shift it from 2nd gear into 3rd gear, the engine resumes a normal and sustainable pace. Sometimes I think that God wants us to "shift gears." He knows that in order for us to become all that we can become in Him, it will require that we learn how to move at 60 mph, not just 40 mph.

When we moved to Florida to start Next Level Church, that's the experience I went through. I remember God speaking to my heart one day, "Matt, you're going to work harder and with a greater intensity then you've ever done before!" And sure enough, I began to see that I was capable of so much more than I ever thought I was. God had a whole new gear for me that I never even knew existed.

2. Evaluate the components of your rhythm. When we find our engine running "extremely hot," it's best to identify and unpack what's making it that way. What new things have we added to our life that are causing our rhythm to increase? What needs to be eliminated? What is out of order in our life? Etc.

3. Talk to your supervisor about it. If you find yourself at a place where someone else is dictating to you what the rhythm of your life has to be, then I guess my best recommendation is communication. Of course, my leadership style is very relational, so I prefer open and honest communcation, and I understand that not all bosses are that way. However, I think if you go with the right approach, more times then not, your boss will be able to bring clarity and understanding to the reasoning behind this season of "heightened rhythm."

4. Find a new opportunity that matches your rhythm. If you find yourself in a work environment where the rhythm is unsustainable, then perhaps you'll have to begin to believe God to open a new door of opportunity. After all, I beleive that God would rather have your life being lived in a healthy & sustainable rhythm, then to have you burn out and blow out on an integrity level!

Hope that helps,

Just another Rhythmic Bloggish Thought,

matt