Adults don’t want to be leaders

By Doug Franklin March 31, 2010

Parents all want their kids to be leaders but adults don’t want to be leaders… why? Ok most parents and most adults may wonder what I’m saying, but if you are a pastor at a church you know what I am talking about.  We have a huge value for leaders in our culture, we just don’t want to pay the cost to be one. Here are my thoughts on why adults don’t want to be leaders.

1. Adults don’t like to think they need to grow or change.
To develop as a leader you have to being willing to take a long look at yourself and make changes. You also have to challenge yourself to growth. Many adults feel like they did this and are finished with the process, mostly due to their age. It’s beneath them to still be growing after all they arrived when they turned 25.

2. Leadership is like golf
The thing about golf is you always can improve, because you never reach perfection. Which, if you think about it, is a lot  like leadership. Adults are turned off by the idea that you can’t focus on leadership for a year or two and then Be A Leader. Leadership is a long-term process and most people don’t have the energy.

3. Leadership costs too much
We live in a church culture which rewards people for playing it safe. So if you want to lead others and take risks you need a bullet proof vest because people are going to take shots at you.  We don’t like change, we like the way we have always done it. There is peace and safety in doing it the same way all the time. Who cares if it’s effective or reaches our goals?

Solutions ….. coming tomorrow