Stop Waiting for “Important” Leadership Roles

My church offers a Thursday Men’s Breakfast where more than 175 guys show up and chow down.

For years, a faithful crew of three took care of the cleanup—pots, pans, and serving utensils.

One of them retired earlier this year, leaving a vacancy on the not-so-coveted cleanup crew.

The kitchen lead took the mic one day and appealed to the room, "If you're interested in joining the dishwashing crew, come see me." Crickets!

I had just resigned from my job and started my own business, so I had some margin. But busting suds at 7:30 in the morning? C'mon man! There's got to be another way to serve the guys, right?

Wrong.

Leadership is influence, and the best way to earn influence with others is to serve them without expecting anything in return. Sure, it's always nice if the opportunity is glamorous--but what if it's not? What if it's just something that needs to be done? Will we still raise our hands?

I made a beeline for the kitchen leader and said, "I'm your guy. When can I start?" His response was a mix of surprise and elation. That was nearly six months ago (as of this writing).

Here’s the lesson: Leadership is more about serving needs than seeking roles.

If you...

See the need

Are equipped to help

Have the margin to say yes

it might be the right opportunity to lead by serving others.