I ran across a blog a couple of weeks ago that caught my attention. It was entitled, “You know you’re not leading when…” As the director of children’s ministry, I am constantly trying to stay on top of my game when it comes to leading the team, the kids, and others. I couldn’t find that blog again, and I unfortunately couldn’t tell you who wrote it. But I saved the statements on how you know you are not leading. They really challenged me to look at myself and my actions. Here are a few of the really tough ones: You know you (or they) are not leading when…

• You wait for someone to tell you what to do rather than taking the initiative yourself.
• You spend too much time talking about how things should be different, instead of fixing it.
• You blame the context, surroundings, or other people for your current situation.
• You are more concerned about being cool or accepted than doing the right thing.
• You aren’t taking any significant risks.
• You accept status quo as the way it’s always been and always will be.
• You procrastinate to avoid making a tough call.
• You talk to others about the problem rather than taking it to the person responsible.
• You ask for way too many opinions before taking action.

They can be used to look at yourself and see if you are really taking the leadership responsibility, and also can be flipped. I have been looking for people on the team that have been stepping out as a leader. I found myself asking if they are doing these things, if they are, then I know they are not ready for leadership responsibility. If they aren’t, maybe it’s time I invest in them.