Worship Leaders: Leadership starts with ourselves

[A caveat - this post focuses on the human side of spiritual leadership. I don't mean in any way to diminish the spiritual forces at work.]

1 Peter 1:13 says, "prepare your minds for action."

Before we act, we prepare.

Before we lead others, we lead ourselves. There actually is an i in leadership.

Every significant failure I've experienced in leadership was preceded by a failure to lead myself well.

There are at least three ways I want to lead myself better:
   1) Spiritually (especially through wise use of spiritual disciplines)
   2) Personally (my physical body, my role as husband and father)
   3) Professionally (as a pastoral-team member and as a worship leader)

I will expand on each of those in the posts that follow, but here's a quick touch on each.

SPIRITUAL SELF LEADERSHIP
While reading through the Bible this year (for the first time I'm following a chronological plan) I have to remind myself that I'm pursuing intimacy, not an accomplishment. When I pray for people, I remind myself that I'm doing this partly to foster relationships--both with my Father and with those for whom I pray. When I confess, I remember that I'm doing it to humble myself and pursue intimacy, not just to "model" the right behavior.

PERSONAL SELF LEADERSHIPAmong my goals for this year are:
   --getting healthier physically
   --becoming a better husband
   --being a better father to my adult (or very nearly adult) daughters.

In order to reach those goals, I am pursuing the wisdom of men just a few years ahead of me. I've crafted 3 questions to ask them, hoping to lead myself well personally. More about that later.

PROFESSIONAL SELF LEADERSHIP I spend time every week trying to get better at my job. I listen for input and feedback. I read to learn. I write to clarify. I teach others to make sure I'm thinking rightly. I really try to get better every single week.

Still, every time I have failed to lead others well, I can point to the source as a failure to lead myself well in one of those three areas. Conversely, every time I have led others really well, I can attribute it to leading myself well.

And here is an amazing mystery of our faith: it is the grace of God that enables me to lead myself well, blessing that leadership. At the same time it's the grace of God that covers my failures to lead myself well, even using those failures to glorify Him and build His Kingdom.

How about you? Do you experience the joy and frustration of self-leadership and see the connection to your ability to lead others?