In my desire to lead well I have very often asked the wrong questions over the years. I tend to lean toward asking how and not Why. Because how seems like it will get me where I want faster. At times this is true. The problem with asking how is it very often can short-circuit the process that sustains the very things I am desire to obtain.
I never saw this in myself until a kids pastor I respect greatly said “Sam, when you have a platform what are you going to say?” I had honestly never thought of that before. What am I going to say? I had never thought anyone wanted to hear what I had to say.
About 15 years ago we started to see the emergence of the Pastor Celebrity. Many of the faces have changed but the celebrity culture within Christianity has only continued to grow. There is in each of us a desire to be known, loved for some to become famous. Because I recognize this is a tendency in me, The question I have to ask before I do anything is Why? Why am I doing this?
Which leads to how. The most profound How we can as is “How can I bring the most Gory to Christ?”
[Tweet “The reality of leadership is we opt for how far more often than why or what.”] The reality of leadership is we opt for how far more often than why or what. When thinking about church growth we people with large churches how they grew their church. They may have some insights that probably would be helpful. The problem is how short circuits the very process that produces what we are after. The better questions we should ask ourselves is “Why do we want our church to grow?” “What are we do we need to do where God has planted us with the culture we have created to make that a reality” then finally if that should happen we ask “How can we deflect the credit to bring Christ the most glory?”
Ask Why and What not How.