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I'm working on a theory about leadership:
The kinds of things that make a leader popular in his/her 20-30s do not transfer to leadership in the next season of life.
The kinds of things that make a leader popular in his/her 20-30s do not transfer to leadership in the next season of life.
(Caveat: Please understand I'm not pointing to Bell as individual, but as representative of a kind of leader that rose quickly in digital age.)
What I'm observing is that the cult of celebrity does not age well, especially if core demographic was comprised of peers.
People who achieve leadership young often do so precisely b/c of charisma, fresh ideas, new perspective, youthful energy, etc. Any mistakes they make are given pass b/c "they're young--they just need to grow a little."
But what happens if they don't? What happens if they lean into the things that are being rewarded? The risk of being a fresh, new voice is that it comes w/ a time stamp.
I'm going to be 40 next month so I'm thinking a lot about this next season. I'm also watching as my peers are stepping into leadership of established institutions. What kind of leadership is required of us?
In this season, we are no longer the "fresh voice," and we can't rely on our good intentions, honest efforts, or personality to build the communities we lead.
We must become... the adults.
We must become... the adults.
When you move into this phase, leadership means being able to support & care for both the generation ahead of you & the one coming behind you. We no longer have option of hanging out w/ our friends.
This is happening on multiple levels in multiple spaces: our homes, our neighborhoods, our churches, our country.
We may not all be called to public leadership, but we are all called to take responsibility for the future of the communties we exist in.
We may not all be called to public leadership, but we are all called to take responsibility for the future of the communties we exist in.
And to my younger friends, don't worry. Slow down, pace yourself. Give these years to the development of faithfulness. Learn to lead well in little & you will be prepared to lead well later.
Signed,
A sister grappling with her own mortality but grateful & excited for the next season
A sister grappling with her own mortality but grateful & excited for the next season
