What is a leader?

He starts off with a couple of jokes and asks how many have had to lead. Half of the room raises their hands. Then only a couple hands stay in the air as he continues, “How many have had anyone following you?”

The beauty of interning with Loving On Purpose is that it gives you the great privilege of listening to Danny and Sheri whenever they are teaching somewhere. This time Danny spoke about leadership in the 2nd year Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry. I got myself a seat in the back since I needed a table to put my white Mac Book. The 2nd year students had just started their semester, so this was their first time hearing Danny speak again. In turning on my journalistic mode, here

we go:

In Danny’s opinion, it is easier to teach leadership to leaders than to people who are not. “Believe me I have taught people who were not leaders,” says Danny and starts off by sharing a couple of personal experiences as a leader. He tells the students about the five to six years when he and his wife were living in a group home with juveniles, and how he, after these years, finally realized that you don’t have a solution for someone who does not have a problem. The former family pastor continues to share about when he came to Bethel in 2001.

“The worship was awesome, but there was very little in the line of children’s ministry and Kris Vallotton was the only counselor.” Danny’s first job at Bethel was to do 40 hours a week of counseling. This was not what Danny wanted, so the first thing he did was to build a counseling team.

“The main thing for a leader to remember is that he/she is powerful. The moment you feel powerless means someone else has power over your life. You have to keep creating time because that is the way you can get to build things.” Danny says that he creates time so that he can think, pray and build. He then warns the students who become good at things, that they have to know that people will want what they have and try to get it.

“As a leader you have to learn how to say no and how to stay responsible for your time.” Danny advises the students to find people who are passionate about what they as leaders need done, so that they can concentrate on their strengths instead. In other words, gather people who want to go where you are going. While walking down that road, Danny says, “Remember not to work harder on another person’s problem than they do.”

“Learn how to build people up and how to invest in the empowering and growth in the people you lead. Learn how to strengthen while you lead, because you have to become a people developer and keep going,” claims Danny. “You have to plan how to do something different than you have experienced. As a leader, you have the power to show who the Father is. Jesus said, “If you have seen me, you have seen the Father.” Then Danny says one of my favorite quotes from this day, “There are lots of ways to learn honor, but the most productive way is by showing it.”

“Find out where the point of your anxiety is and deal with it. Look for ways to help your team and it will make you look like a genius.” “Why?” asks Danny before answering his own question. “Because I have a team of free and powerful people.” For the leaders who do not know what to do in a situation, Danny has that answer for that problem too. You just start asking questions. If nothing else, it buys you time.

Danny ends his lesson by summing up the two most important things a leader should remember, “Play to your strengths and deal with your constraints.” I am sitting there in the back and can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed from all his good teaching and advice on leadership. I thought I already knew all this, but obviously there is always more to learn. Thanks Danny!