Their Turn

A great leader must learn to completely turn over a task to somebody else. Wait! It's not just leaders. We all need to let the next generation or next chairperson have chief responsibility at some point.

Only the poorest manager or parent lets go without some transition to the next person's leadership. We've got to teach them the ropes. We've got to show those coming after us the basics of what will be expected of them.

The tough part for me, and I suspect most of us, is the final turning over of the leader's role. For instance, as a parent I'm tempted to keep giving advice until my son is doing everything exactly like I would do it. Yes, I know that's foolish, but we tell ourselves we're just trying to keep our children from learning things the hard way. It's a love thing.

When I finally 'pry my hands off the steering wheel,' it is truly amazing how different and strange and truly wonderful the next person's style of operating is, whether it be my son or a leader in the church or the next person to cook my signature dish.

God has made us all different, and we've all accumulated different education and experiences. On my worst days, I long for the whole world to be just like me. On my best days, I see a little of me in all those I have taught, and a whole lot more of them.

God made us all in his image. It takes billions of people to reflect all that God is. God doesn't look like me.