The Upcoming Leader: What to Expect When You Are Expecting (to Lead)
A staff member asked you to lead a new ministry and you accepted. Now what?
How do you get started? What should you do first?
Like anything, getting started can be the most difficult step for a new leader.
The first step for any leader is establishing expectations. The promotion as a leader often comes with expectations. If you don’t know what those expectations are, you may be headed in the wrong direction. There may be expectations from the staff. Expectations from those you are leading as well as yourself.
Spend some time to clarify these expectations:
- What is God expecting of me? God has had a hand in preparing you and putting you into this position. Stay focused on listening to Him
- What is it that the staff expect from me and my team? Sometimes a promotion is based upon some series of skills or experience that you have. Find out what they are looking for and include that in your leadership plan
- What is the church expecting of me and my team? If this team plays an important role for the church, you may need to spend time meeting with other leaders to determine what they need from you
Clarify the expectations of others. Don’t commit to anything until you have time to consider them. Don’t become a promise maker or a promise breaker because you want to please everyone.
Next, pray over those expectations and determine which one(s) should be a priority for your team.
Then, create a clear vision and direction for the short term to guide your team to success. Share this vision with everyone so that they know what to expect (and not to expect) in the coming months.
Doing this will help you, your team, your staff, and the church understand what to expect as you take on this new leadership role.
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