In His Hands; At His Feet

There was only ever one perfect servant leader.

James opens his book by telling us to be steady when we are tested and to trust that God, like our own Earthly father, loves us enough to allow us to learn from our mistakes. Fortunately for us, in life and in faith, mistakes are less coffin nails than they are stepping stones to greater things.

As servant leaders, we are going to make mistakes. We are going to look at a problem and ignore its solution. We are going to see the difficulty in correcting a situation and choose the path of least resistance. We are going to want what is not ours and be offended when we don't get it. But thankfully, because of God's wonderful gift of grace, those mistakes are temporary. They are errors in judgment we are meant to learn from. They are actions, or inactions, we are meant to recognize and not repeat.

As a servant leader, our job is to not only recognize when we have made mistakes and not repeat them, but to recognize when those under our charge (or in supervisory roles to us) have made mistakes and use the wisdom that God has given us to correct them. But how do we do that?

First, we need to recognize that mistakes are opportunities to improve. If we dwell on the error, we will never get past it. "Get out of your head," is a common phrase in sports. When Tom Brady throws an interception, he doesn't spend the next two series trying not to throw another interception. If he did his throws would be tentative, his targets less challenging - less like Brady. Instead, he recognizes that he erred and sets out to avoid the same mistake in the future.

As a servant leader it is important to recognize when a mistake has been made, but we cannot get stuck there. We have to move past the mistake by using it to improve.

The second thing we need to do is own up to our error or own the responsibility to help others improve. Back to #12, when Brady makes a mistake he owns it - and when someone on his team makes a mistake he corrects it. That's not easy, but it's an integral part of servant leadership. We cannot just let the error lie there and think it is going to fix itself. Errors are like bad potatoes - they stink up the whole house and rot the rest of the bag. It is our purpose as servant leaders to identify the mistake, own it or raise it with the true owner, and work together to fix it.

That leads to step three. After Brady throws an interception, he analyzes everything that could have caused it using his little blue tablet so he doesn't repeat it. Servant leaders cannot be afraid to confront a situation no matter its origin. Call a spade a spade, but do so respectfully and tactfully. But we also cannot change who we are just because the culture around us makes servant leadership hard. Analyze what led to the error so you can recognize it the next time something similar comes around and avoid making - or standing idly by while others make - the same mistake.

The final step is to stay the course. Brady doesn't change his game or deliberately select a harder throw the next time, he simply plays like Brady. He knows who he is on the team. He knows his role and his ability, and he trusts that everything up to that point in that game has happened to make him the GOAT - and he throws the ball like only Brady can throw it.

It is the same for us, servant leader. We cannot change our game because we've made a mistake. Once we recognize that a mistake has been made, we learn from it and move on. It is the same when those who work for us, or who govern over us, make a mistake. We recognize it, review it in our own little blue mental tablet, confront with a plan to correct, and get back on the trail God has lain for us to follow.

That's the secret sauce in living with mistakes. We must trust that God knows the opportunity we have been given and that He has given us the tools to avoid it the next time it comes around. Quarterbacks the world over look to learn from Brady, the GOAT, but we have our own GOAT to learn from in Christ - the only perfect Servant Leader.

So, if you play football, throw it like Brady. If you play futbol, bend it like Beckham. Either way, lead like Christ.

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:2-6, NKJV)

(Photo: neworleanssaints.com)