Most churches struggle to attract and develop young leaders. There are a lot of reasons for that. But instead of writing a blog post encouraging the church to take ground in this area (like I’ve done before) I wanted to take a different angle and speak to the young leaders who might be reading this. Not sure this is actually going to be super popular with younger leaders, but if you take this advice to heart I promise you it will help you get where you want to go. So at the risk of sounding like a grumpy old codger (not sure that’s really a word) here are a couple of things that will help young leaders advance in their leadership.
#1 Come to Work on Time
This may sound a little elementary, but I’m telling you, if you show up on time or, better yet, get into work before your supervisor gets there, things will go well for you.
#2 Follow Through
Again this isn’t rocket science. But if you do what you say you’re going to do you, when you say you will do it, you’ll stand out. Consistency and follow through are rare in the workforce among young leaders, and this will differentiate you from your peers.
#3 Over-Deliver
The old adage is still true today, “Under-promise and over-deliver.” Do this, and you’ll turn heads. People will begin to learn that they can count on you to get stuff done.
#4 Learn New Things
Don’t be afraid to ask your supervisors for help or input. Offer to take other more experienced leaders in your organization out for coffee or lunch (on your dime) and ask them good questions about what they’ve learned over the years (write the questions you want answered down ahead of time).
#5 Push Yourself
Jump into the deep end of the pool. The best way to learn to lead isn’t in a classroom but by leading. Sink your teeth into something big and see what you can do. Don’t be afraid to fail. Ask your supervisor for extra work and side projects that you can help with.
At the end of the day, as a young leader you’ve got to build trust with those in authority over you. Do these five things and you’ll be well on your way!
Interested in learning more about developing young leaders in the church? Check out these
“10 Articles That Will Help Your Church Develop Young Leaders.”
