NOTE This lesson is directed to the overall program leaders - the leaders of leaders - in your organisation.

We're not successful in other areas of life

My basic premise in recruiting leaders is the success law "Success breeds success". If you run a successful, dynamic, effective, world changing program - others will flock to join you.

The basic prerequisite is "successful program" - to have a successful program you need to be successful yourself.

Remember the success law Success breeds success.

o This isn't a hard law to prove.

o If Chickens breed chickens,

o and Horses breed horses,

o and Ants breed ants then (no - I haven't studied philosophy!

o Success breeds success. can't you tell)

The truly effective and ultimately successful leader is successful in other areas of their life. At work. In their family. In the community. etc.

Now please catch this point of distinction here I am addressing the "Leader of leaders" now - not the leader of children. That is the Senior Commander or the Scout Master or the Brigade Captain.

If this leader (overall program leader) isn't a success in life - then I'll wager that they won't be able to recruit a good team around them and their program won't be a success.

It stands to reason - how can you fluke being successful in one area of life? Success is a way of life - not an isolated flukey thing.

(translation note to fluke (v) - accidentally achieve something)

Now experience shows us that unsuccessful people can learn how to be successful people. The Bible is full of such stories - Moses. David. Gideon. Peter.

Or is it? I don't think so...

o Moses was successful before God called him to lead the Children of Israel out of Egypt. He lived in the royal palace. The power of life and death was in his hands.

o David fought bears and lions in the field while looking after sheep. Goliath was just another intruder.

o Gideon had the courage to be threshing in spite of the danger from the enemy.

o Peter was a successful fisherman.

Now - the interesting thing to note about each of these men was that they became much more successful and significant than they started. Yet they kind of had the "knack" of doing things successfully from the start.

This is a characteristic of great leaders. Success if a part of their life, they don't know any other way. Sure - they're human and fail. But they get up and go again. Success is the norm - failure is the aberration.

So what hope is there for our programs?
Easy We need great leaders.

If you are the overall leader in your program - and aren't successful in the terms I've been describing here, and you DO WANT your program to grow - then perhaps you should consider the following course of action

Find and recruit a successful leader to your program - sell vision, potential, and the ability to change the world. These turn on great leaders. Let them know they'll have a free hand in shaping and growing your program.

Continue to diligently serve in your capacity as leader of children - you'll be much more effective if this is your passion. Doing things that you don't naturally do well is tiring and draining and leads to burnout. Much better off doing what you do do well, well.

Watch great things start to happen! Expect it. Work for it.

Conclusion - it's a hard lesson to embrace. But we're all better off doing what we're good at. Don't fight it - it's how God made you after all.