Quick To Hear

I've experienced leadership in all kinds of aspects: the good, the bad; the humble, the proud; the hard working, the lazy...the list goes on. There are all kinds of character traits that make up a solid leader but for me, the most important are threefold. Someone I want to follow as they follow Christ is a leader who is humble, a leader who constantly learns, and a leader who listens! For me, listening is so important and I'm not just talking about being still and quiet while someone else is speaking. I'm talking about the genuine care, "I'm actually concerned with what you have to say" kind of listening. I find this huge working with students. I quickly have found out that most of the time the 'thing' that the student is sharing isn't really the 'thing' that needs to be addressed. Often times what they struggle with is much deeper, and if you actually listen to what they are saying you will be able to get to the root of the problem; which usually leads to how they view God, or a lie that they've believed.

In the movie Bowling for Columbine there is an interview between Michael Moore and Marilyn Manson right after the shootings at Columbine High School. Marilyn Manson was taking a lot of heat because of his musical style and lyrics and he was being blamed for the horrible incident. It was an interesting conversation that the two had. Moore asks Manson, "If you were to talk directly to the kids at Columbine or the people in the community, what would you say to them if they were here right now?" Manson simply responded, "I wouldn't say a single word to them, I would listen to what they have to say and that's what no one did!" That response threw me off big time. I think these types of people in history were never really given a chance, maybe because no one wanted to listen to them because they were 'different'. Or maybe it's because we like to act like we don't struggle with anything and have life all figured out.

The fact of the matter is we all have a voice but no one is willing to shut up and listen. Few are willing to let go of the busyness of life and build into relationships. James 1 says to be quick to hear and slow to speak but in today's society, we are wired to talk over each other and voice our every opinion. Many forget that for 30 years Jesus observed, learned, and listened before He started His ministry. Leaders might have some great things to say and they often cast great vision, resulting in followers. But the day the leader stops learning and listening is the day he or she stops leading!