I’ve learned over the years that when something has to be changed, altered, made to work, experimented with, or just entertained in the minds eye…there is one type of people that will step up. Leaders.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a cocky thing…its scary. When things are great or when we’re struggling a bit, the leader is the one who steps up. Even when you look throughout scripture (Old & New Testament) you will find time after time where the leader wasn’t the one sitting around doing nothing. He/she was the one up front, leading the people by example in their faith, courage and heart!
Leaders jump at the opportunity to change and make things better, but they are also very careful to do so at a pace where everyone on the team arrives together.
It’s like a race. There are times to push hard and times to coast. You may always be running, but its not always a dead sprint. Leaders set this pace in their teams and in their people. Which means a leader has to know…
- Where the team is at
- What the team is experiencing
- Where the team is going
The funny thing is, you can’t take your team where your going if you don’t know where it is your going. In the same way, you can’t get there if you don’t know where you’re at (try getting Google map directions without a starting point…won’t work). However, the biggest one is knowing what they are experiencing…empathetic leadership.
By knowing these, a leader sets the pace! They know what has to be done, they know their people and they lead accordingly! Oh, don’t get me wrong…I’m still learning!! Believe me, I’m no where close to being the expert, but I love that God is teaching me along they way!! 
What about you? What have you learned about setting the pace as a leader?