Leadership

Leadership

My good friend, Wayne Pederson, took the reins as President of the World Radio Missionary Fellowship, Inc., commonly known over the past 30 years as HCJB World Radio, then HCJB Global and more recently as Reach Beyond. He has assembled a good leadership team and continues to be the visionary and leader/manager that the ministry needs today.

Since his first week as President and each following week he sends a “Lessons for Leaders” to his team. It is usually good, very good. He is a voracious reader and shares the best for his staff. I have encouraged him to collect these for his book someday.

Here is the latest from a leader, God’s man, to the future leaders of Reach Beyond. He shares insight that is good for all of us, not just leaders.

“I have to admit that I’m not good about handling feedback.  When criticism comes, I tend to be defensive rather than reflective.​
Most of us as leaders have blindspots: things in our lives that others see but are hesitant to point out…because we’re the leader.
Today, a friend, the top leader of a large ministry quoted her grandma who said:  'The problem with our weaknesses is that we carry them on our behinds.  We can’t see them but everybody else can.'
Paul, the leader of the first century church said this:  ‘I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment.’
To me that means being open to input. That means being so approachable, others will feel comfortable helping you be better.
It means having people close enough to you that have earned the right to receive honest feedback.
It means having the important trait of humility that’s never afraid to look in the mirror and say: What’s the one thing I’m doing that needs to change?
Let the Holy Spirit convict and guide you in that process.”

Perhaps Proverbs 3:12 is applicable about accepting input from others. “My son, do not despise the LORD’S discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”