Leadership that Transforms

January 20, 2009 · Filed under Blog

The idea of “transformational” leadership has been on my mind lately, and for good reason.

  1. On Monday, the United States celebrated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., whose transformational leadership inspired a nation to break down the walls of racial injustice and inequality.
  2. Today, as Barack Obama is inaugurated as the 44th President, Americans recognize, perhaps more than ever, the transformational leadership potential that is inherent in the office of the presidency.
  3. Over the last year, WNAM has undergone significant leadership and organizational changes to reposition our ministry to better raise up the next generation of transformational Native leaders for The Wesleyan Church.

You might be asking, “What exactly is transformational leadership?”  Transformational leadership occurs when a leader takes a visionary position and inspires people to follow.  Transformational leadership calls out the best from others and motivates them to a higher level of action, commitment and morality.

Transformational leaders know now to take stock of situations and circumstances and decide on bold action.  They realize that difficult challenges demand new ways of thinking.  They know that what got us to where we are today might not get us where we need to go tomorrow.

Most importantly, transformational leaders have first been transformed themselves.  This is especially key for spiritual leaders.  We must first have our character and heart transformed by God before He can use us to help transform our church, community, and world. That’s why discipleship is a key component of leadership development for WNAM and our partners.

Thank you for your ongoing prayer and financial support, which helps us multiply transformational Native believers (disciples), leaders and churches across North America.