“Community with friends helps us grow more like Jesus and live out unchanging truth in a changing world.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today –April 28, 2023
Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:23-25
Boyd was recently interviewed on the Following to Lead podcast on leadership. Here is an edited version of the interview. For the entire 20-minute podcast, click here: Following to Lead
Question: How can leaders live out God’s unchanging truth in a changing world?
Answer: Community is essential to applying unchanging truth in a changing world. I would highlight three types of communities:
Divine Community
Investing time with our loving Father, our Savior, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, our energy to live for God. My favorite times and places are quietly sitting in my library, a walk in the woods, or an extended silent retreat at a monastery. I truly feel loved as God’s beloved in these environments.
Family Community
The family community is essential as it helps me grow to love and know those who love me the most and know me the best. It’s my laboratory for Christianity. And a community with family is where I learn how to apologize, ask forgiveness and serve. I told our oldest daughter, please be patient with me; whatever age you are, we’ve never had one we’re practicing on you. And as Paul taught in marriage, how a husband loves a wife is a picture of how Jesus loves the church. I feel like I am at full capacity when I’m connected with my wife and children, but I limp along emotionally when I don’t have that authentic community and connection.
Friend Community
I don’t trust myself by myself. And I can’t really know myself by myself…I need community with friends who love me. Who help me become the best version of myself. So, I have three groups of men I meet with, one accountability group, and two book clubs. And Rita and I have been with the same couple’s group for the last 12 years, in community just to work on our marriages, have fun, grow, and be vulnerable about our struggles. It has been a game-changer. I didn’t like the emotional openness at first, but now I’ve grown to appreciate that level of authenticity. It’s a safe place for my wife to share her fears and concerns. Community with friends helps me grow more like Jesus and live out unchanging truth in a changing world.
Question: In your own words, what distinguishes a high-performing leader from others?
Answer: If you define high performance as accomplishing the right results with excellence and sustainability, then I would say a high-performance leader is someone who spends more time thinking, praying, and doing less to accomplish more of what is essential. A high-performance leader has an investment mindset. Being very prayerful and wise by being intentional to invest their time, influence, and affluence to grow other leaders and to build an organization with a healthy culture. A healthy culture at work and home is an environment where expectations are crystal clear, and the core values are what compel everyone to work together toward a common purpose. Where I serve, we have a working covenant where we read one of the values every Monday on our team Zoom and one person tells a story that illustrates that value. High performance as a leader comes from inner humility and an outward boldness to bring clarity on what’s most important to a culture.
Question: In your years of coaching leaders, what do you think leaders need the most, or what gaps do they need to cover?
Answer: Listen more and talk less. We do not need to come across as always trying to convince others of what we want them to do. We need to listen with the heart to learn and change, to become a better person and help others become the best version of themselves, and in the process, move together with all of our fingerprints on the strategy and goals that we’ve agreed upon through collaboration to carry out. To be very intentional as a leader to grow in my emotional fitness. To exercise my emotional muscles of empathy and comfort so that I am truly connecting to other human beings. To make sure my emotional intelligence is able to truly connect to the hearts and minds of those whom I serve. This means I need to be vulnerable as a leader about my own struggles and mistakes and be quick to forgive and help others learn from their mistakes. A culture that not only allows for failure but encourages innovation and experiments so we can become better. Being able to fail is a safe environment for team members to excel. So as a team at work, be willing to go through these types of emotional fitness training. And learning the skill of emotional engagement will bring great energy to the team. For example, in the last couple of years at the National Christian Foundation, we’ve required all team members to go through the “Critical Conversations” training, which has been outstanding in helping our teams confront issues early on and deal with them before they become unhealthy.
Question: How can leaders really exemplify godly leadership to their followers?
Answer: It’s the little things. Looking them in the eyes, saying their name, asking about their family. Praying for them. It’s knowing that you have their back. If someone brings up a question about one of the team members, you point that person back to the team member to discuss whatever their concern is. It’s valuing them by truly listening to them and not being rushed to get through your agenda but to help them feel comfortable in talking about their concerns and ideas. Not flashy leadership, but faithful leadership is what wins hearts to follow hard after God and His purposes.
“Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people” (Matthew 4:19).
Prayer
Heavenly Father, grow me into a Christian and leader who loves and leads like Jesus, through Christ’s love, and in Jesus’ name, amen.
Application
In what community is the Lord leading you to engage: A Divine, Family, or Friends community?
Related Reading
Matthew 18:20; Acts 2:46-47; Romans 12:4-5; Colossians 3:13-14
Worship Resource
Elevation Worship: Available
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