The ones who make it are grounded in a small group of people who are committed to their making it.

In situation after situation of being called in as a consultant, I see this principle holding true. The good ones have a group of people who offer them support, lifeline encouragement, accountability, healing, hard truth and feedback, guidance, and the like. They are truly the arms of God to the leader, providing what Peter refers to, "administering the grace of God in its various forms (1 Peter 4:10)." They are not trying to lead by supporting themselves, encouraging themselves, or taking only their own counsel.

Instead, they are "rooted and grounded" in the love, support and guidance of a few others, and in that safety they thrive. I asked one man who began a very large organization and has led it successfully for 25 years how he built it, how he got started, and how he sustained it over all those years. His answer proved what the Bible and research tell us. "The first thing I did was to find a small group of men who were wise and honest to be my support group. They would encourage me, and tell me the truth about myself and the things that I was doing. They would hold me accountable. We began meeting regularly 25 years ago, and the same group is still together."

A pastor I know who leads a large church has a committee whose only function is to support and develop him as a person. They have even institutionalized the very practice I am referring to here. Many companies do the same thing, investing in the coaching and development of their leaders. And they see the fruit in the organization because the leader is being given to, held up, supported and protected by those committed to his or her growth.

Sadly, in the situations where there is failure, burn out, relational issues, pride and narcissism, destructive decisions, or other problems, you rarely find this practice. What you do find is a leader who has been going it alone, trying to lead out of a personal vacuum. Sometimes it is innocent, and he or she is just trying to be all things to all people, and the well runs dry. Other times there is pain or even darkness that he or she is afraid to expose to others. But in all cases, where there is a leader who is not being ministered to by others, there will be failure and sometimes even disaster.

So, all who lead and sacrifice for others, listen to the words of Paul, where he tells you to sacrifice in a certain way: with clear vision. What does that mean? It means leading from a place where you can see something very clearly, where you can see the grace and mercy of God first, before you lead:

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship (Rom 12:1)

Are there representatives of God's mercy so present in your life so that when you sacrifice, you can see them? Is God's mercy and his grace so present in your life that from that safe, grounded place you are leading with a "full cup?" Or do you feel like you are out there alone, sacrificing from an empty or scary place inside? The passage as well as a lot of experience teach us that those who are clearly in view of God's mercy, who have it operating at a deep, incarnational way through the love and support of others, will run the race well and finish well. The sacrifice will not kill them, and it will lead to wonderful things. They will be supported when they are weak or fall, and corrected when they are wrong. But, the ones who sacrifice without that kind of help will hurt themselves in the process, and maybe even hurt others as well.

Get your team together! Ask God to bring you those that you can entrust your heart and your mission to. Allow them to love you and to tell you the truth, and then take it in. Let them serve you first, so you can be "in view" of God's mercy as you go out and do the hard work of leadership. And, make it a consistent part and structure of your life, not something that just happens here and there, so you don't "lose sight" of His mercy and help. It should be as regular as mealtime. If you do that, you will be leading with your glasses on, in view of the sustaining mercy of God.

God Bless, Henry