how important is a leader?

I've been a leader for a while now in various roles with varying degrees of responsibility. One concept that has always intrigued me about leadership is the intangible value that leadership and leaders bring.

I think that good leaders are probably the single biggest commodity that any organization could ever have. Our fledgling little church has a ton of great leaders! I sat in a room with about 10 of the most courageous leaders I know last night and told them I would rather have them with me than $100K in the bank. I meant every word of it. Bottom line, I believe that good leaders, who can bring good leadership, are worth their weight in gold, at least.

But being a good leader means a lot more than accomplishing tasks. Sure, productivity is part of it, but real leaders are people who can influence others toward greatness. To do that, one needs to exude greatness, relatively speaking. My theory gets tested when it comes to me. I'm a leader in our church. I'm the senior leader. It would stand to reason that I should be someone who brings good leadership to our team and our church. I once heard a mentor of mine say that possibly 50% of a leader's time ought to be spent on self-leadership. Wow, that's a big concept, especially when I consider that another mentor once taught me that there is a fine line between rest and laziness, between caring for one's own personal growth and just being selfish.

I don't know if 50% is a magic number or if there is such a thing as a magic number. But I do know that as I take a day today to read, reflect and grow I am becoming a better leader. Sure, I could have accomplished a few tasks this afternoon, but the next time I'm with my team I'll be fresher and more full of Jesus and Godly vision than before.

How important is a leader? Very. Make sure you're doing what you need to do for yourself so that the people you lead get the best you they can get.