This is the time of year when we focus on gifts. We give them. We receive them. We return them! This tradition of giving gifts, though, didn’t start with us, but from our creator. When we were born, each of us were given gifts and talents in combinations unique to us. We may be similar to others, but there is no one on earth who is exactly the same as we are. Our God is highly creative, and we are on the wonderful receiving end of the gifts.
As leaders, we not only are to be good stewards of the unique gifts we personally have been given, but we are also given the stewardship responsibility of the gifts that was given to members of our teams. Paid staff and volunteers alike join with us to accomplish our mission, and together we combine our gifts into a fantastic and creative force for the good we seek to do. As a leader of many volunteers over the years, I’ve been privileged to help people to discover their gifts, hone their talents, and use them to the full extent. Often, staff and volunteers don’t even know they possess the gifts, but I see it and I work hard to help them realize the potential they have within. I love it when someone moves from disbelief to full confidence in using a gift which was buried in them.
As you move forward as a leader, I encourage you to always be on the lookout for undiscovered gifts within the people you lead. It may blow your mind (and theirs) when you discover something totally unexpected. That discovery is yet another gift!
Lead well.