As I was reading "The web of women's leadership" today I was delighted to hit a section pertaining to web leadership and its correlation with community. The book states that web leadership leads to spiritual unity and this unity is what creates community. Prior to this idea is a quote from Mother Theresa "God did not call us to succeed, God called us to serve." With these two ideas parallel to one another I begin to think about the future of the church, the future generations to come, and the future of my own ministry. What if leaders became submissive to communities, laying down the idea of hierarchy and actually picking up the model of web leadership? I automatically have a flash back to the Jesus on Leadership book I just read, the idea that we must be servants to lead.
I suddenly feel like a broken record, but bear with me, I want to push further. The Church around the world today is crying out for community and unity with one another and with the world. How can we do this as leaders? Another point made in this book is that web leadership will allow for community and unity to happen in a "piecemeal" sort of fashion. This is opposed to a huge grand plan that is executed by just a few individuals. As leaders go along they will discover what works and does not work. I understand this scares a lot of people (including myself) we like to know what to do and when to do it. However, with web leadership we are a part of something much bigger. We are no longer at the top looking down. Personally, as a leader I am comforted by the fact that there are others around me.
One last point I would like to talk about that is made in this chapter is in regards to making space. When web leadership is present, space also needs to be present for growth. This means that leaders need time to walk around and talk to people, to walk beside people, and to live with others. It is essential that the leader be in the middle of things that are going on (both figuratively and sometimes literally) This is also a challenge for many leaders (again, including me) there are times where being in the middle of what is going on is the last place you feel like being. However, as I ponder that thought, I also realize that those times in which God has gotten me through being in the middle are the times where not only have I helped others, but also times where I have grown the most.
Whew, I just realized that is a lot to take in. I shall continue simmering in these thoughts as my week continues.
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