Leaders Reproduce

Andy Stanley is the pastor of North Point Community Church outside of Atlanta Georgia. He is a gifted communicator and leader. I highly recommend his book Next Generation Leader. It's a short and succinct look at what it takes to be a leader.

Andy was interviewed on the Catalyst podcast which I listened to in my car while I was stuck in Detroit rush hour traffic this afternoon. The interview was an interesting glimpse in to the daily life of a very influential leader (his church has 22,000 members and 300 staff) however I was impressed by one comment that Andy made:

"My greatest job as a leader is seeing the leaders around me succeed."

In a move that very few pastors would take, Andy removed himself from the pulpit over the summer and mentored and coached ten younger guys who led the multi-campus congregation during the summer months.

"If I don't leave a dozen trained communicators in my wake when I move on then I haven't been successful."

As a teacher, if I don't help train up a dozen or more innovative, creative, and influential men and women, then I haven't been successful. This goes well beyond content knowledge and diverges into the realm of what my students "catch" rather than what they are "taught." What attitudes, disciplines, and qualities do I exemplify on a daily basis that my students might possibly emulate?

Teachers are leaders. Leaders reproduce.