Eager Beavers

There is this saying in the book of Romans that says if you are a leader, then lead with diligence. Last week I read this book by a guy who many consider to be a leadership guru. He talked about leading with diligence and what that looked like. He said that the word eager or eagerly was similar to the word diligence. When I think of management I often think about those who oversee the functionality of a product, but leadership, to me, involves  those who oversee the potentiality of people. That is why when the author talked about the word eager or eagerly, it stuck out to me. According to the dictionary diligence can be traced to a 14th century French word, diligere, meaning to “value highly, love.” This redefines leadership as I know it to be.

Think about it. Who are some of the people in your life that you play an active leadership role in? It may be people at work, your home, possibly a charity you volunteer for, or your place of worship. Most leaders are considered good leaders if they are hard-working, persistent, persuasive, influential, and/or visioneers. If you're a leader, which most of you are. You may not consider yourself one because you don't have a title, but still, you embodied at least one of those traits, and probably even more than one. Yet, when you think about leading according to those people who invented great kisses, do you lead people with an eagerness to valuing highly and loving them?

The book of Romans can actually be found in the bible. Whether you agree with all that the bible stands for, generally people can agree with parts of it. According to the bible, it says that those who lead diligently are legitimate leaders. Now considered those people in your life who are leading you? Are they involved in your life? Are they invested in your life? Are they even showing signs of eagerness to accomplish this responsibility or is it not even on their radar? The big word that I have heard buzzing around my leadership classes at Seminary and at work recently is initiative. Initiative!? It is demanded of those who want to lead in a world that is constantly changing at a rapid pace. I agree of its need and its relevance, but more is needed, much more. Initiative is so highly valued right now because those who possess it are quicker to respond and adapt in any given situation. Ultimately, they have what those in managment want - results, productivity.   

I hope that you you aren't able to read this and feel justified by the fact that you can say, "but I highly value the people I lead." Everyone is able to say that of those who lead productive people. For better or for worse we highly value those things that have great worth. As a result, we highly value that which affords us things of great worth. Boil it down, we highly value productivity. We highly value our people more when they are highly productive. Productivity in our culture is the hottest commodity we can possess. The more the better, but the better and faster, which requires more, will be awarded and applauded.

So what I am trying to say? When you value highly the people you lead, you are commited to being involved in their lives, and willing to invest in their lives no matter how productive they are! [I just reread that and my stomach turned.] Our natural reflex to that statements is, "No way! That would be a waste of time!" See what I am saying? Our culture has ingrained is us to highly value productive people.  I am challenging everyone to lead people based on their potentiality, not just as an employee or your volunteer, but as person, a neighbor, and even possibly a friend. Not merely a means to an end. The American church is struggling with this right now. We are in great need of eager beavers. Millenials need leaders who are eager to be diligere. Those zealous on valuing highly and loving those they lead. Not merely highly valuing us because we are productive, or we will quickly disengage and be labled a faithless generation.