I know what you’re thinking. “Sarah, we’re Group Leaders. We ARE in charge.”

Good point.

But hear me out. As Group Leaders, we’re in charge to a certain extent, but really, we’re serving a ministry of Lighthouse, and ultimately, we’re serving Jesus.

So how do we lead well when we’re not in charge? I was given the privilege of reading an advance copy of the book How To Lead When You’re Not In Charge by Clay Scroggins, the lead pastor of North Point Community Church (yes, you’re reading that correctly, the same North Point as Andy Stanley, he’s Clay’s boss). It was both helpful and humorous, which is a great combination, especially when reading non-fiction.

Here are three lessons I learned from the book that apply to all of us as Group Leaders:

1. Lead Yourself. Truly great leaders, no matter how successful they become, maintain a learning curve as steep as when they first begin their careers. So make a plan. Know where you currently are. Have a vision for where you want to go. Develop the discipline and accountability to do what it takes to stay on track. And go all-in.
2. Choose Positivity. Leaders who bring a trust-fueled, hope-filled, forward-thinking attitude every day can change any team dynamic. Positivity is a character trait that is developed over time, and more often than not, character is developed when things are difficult. Throughout history, God has put specific people into particular positions for definitive reasons. There is a confidence that comes from believing that God has you where he wants you.
3. Effective Leaders Are Inclusive. The best way to be the type of leader people want to celebrate is to care deeply about the people you work with. Inclusive leaders don’t isolate themselves as authority figures, they include themselves in the discussion as influential innovators. Take a look at Jesus. He surrounded himself with disciples so he could prepare them to carry on the momentum of his ministry. He didn’t just send them out and hope for the best. He equipped them by telling them where to go, what to say, what to do, and even what to take (Matt 10:6-10). He was forcing them to live up to their potential. That’s what we’re called to do as leaders, and that’s something we can do whether we’re in charge or not.

I enjoyed this book so much and the more I thought, prayed and talked about it, the more I realized that this book would be helpful for many of the Group Leaders I’m honored to serve with. This Friday at Group Connect, leaders will receive a copy of this book as a gift from the Groups Ministry at Lighthouse. If you won’t be at Group Connect but are interested in the book, please send me an email at sarah@lighthousehome.org.

Lastly, for full disclosure purposes, in exchange for the advance copy of the book, I was asked to write a review (which you can read here). I chose to share lessons from the book on this blog, in addition to what I was asked, for the reasons mentioned above. I pray that it is as helpful to you as it has been to me.

For more information, visit ClayScroggins.com/Resources.

Book Review by Sarah Biggerstaff