Numbering Our Days Aright

Guest Post by Steve Brown

Imagine learning that you would be leaving your current leadership role in three years. Set aside for a moment whether that is happy or sad news. With that departure date looming, how would you invest your time moving forward?

Like all good questions, this one requires careful reflection. It not only forces you to identify current priorities but it also leads to big-picture legacy priorities. It gets to the question, “When all is said and done, what is really important?”

Interestingly, Jesus lived and led through the very timeline of this question. Whether or not he knew that his earthly ministry would end within a three-year window, he chose to invest the majority of his time developing people. Though he was very engaged with the pressing daily demands of ministry around him, he spent the majority of his time intentionally investing in his twelve disciples and others.

Jesus chose to pour himself into a few for the sake of the many. He prayed, modeled, loved, taught, provided real-time training experiences, and served alongside the twelve. Jesus’ investment in the twelve formed the foundation for the disciples to continue the mission beyond their leader.

Jesus’ priority of investing in others is a remarkable example and challenge for Christian leaders to be doing the same. The best part is that IT WORKS!

Here are some reflection questions to guide your approach to developing others:

• Who are you investing in right now?
• As you pray and reflect on the people around you, whom should you be investing in more intentionally?
• How is the priority of developing others reflected in your time?
• Ideally, what percentage of your time would you like to allocate to developing others?
• How could your investment in others be more intentional this year?
• In your team or organization, is there a ‘leadership pipeline‘ in place where training and development strategically targets every level of the team/organization in order to both steward today and also provide for the organizational needs of tomorrow?
• In your team or organization, are sufficient resources (i.e. budget, time, champions) being allocated to demonstrate this value and practically equip all levels of the team? 

As a leader, you are also tasked to approach the development of others from a broader organizational perspective. In stewarding organizational resources you have a responsibility to prioritize resources and create systems so that people development is part of the organizational DNA.

Be encouraged to prayerfully reflect on the big-picture priority of following Jesus‘ example of developing others. With God’s grace, may we all “number our days aright.”

Dr. Steve Brown serves as President for Arrow Leadership in Canada. The Arrow Leadership Program provides a personal, intentional and transformational journey for Christian ministry, non-profit and marketplace leaders.  Visit Arrow Leadership for more information or Steve’s blog SharpeningLeaders.com

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