For most of my life, I believed that being a leader meant I had to do several things.
For one, I had to be qualified.
Two, I had to be in control.
And lastly, I could not be transparent when I was weak.
In the last couple of years, this year especially, I’ve been hit with many storms. And as president of the Richland High School S3 club as well as a leader in my church and FCA, I have had self doubt. I didn’t feel qualified. I most certainly wasn’t in control. I felt like being transparent in my weakness and struggles would make me less of a leader. But, as I’ve dug into the word and encountered encouraged from several mentors in my life, God has been teaching me what being a leader for the Kingdom looks like.
- Find a mentor–As leaders, we must also be led. We don’t know everything and that’s okay. Seek out people who are older, wiser, and who will encourage and pour into you during every season. Most of all, someone who is a Christ follower.
- Be broken–We all are. And when we lead from a place of brokenness, we take ourselves off of the ‘high horse’ and show others they are not alone. Leading from brokenness often isn’t easy. But, good leaders shouldn’t be fake. Sometimes, it takes getting up and leading from that very place of brokenness, even though we may not feel like it. Leading from brokenness is one of the greatest acts of humility.
- Surround yourself with truth–Satan will do all he can to get you to believe lies. He will deceive you as you scroll through Instagram. He will get into your head when you don’t make the team. He will hit you hardest when storms come. And he certainly will remind you when you are most weak and vulnerable. But when you have God’s word and His promises saturating every thought, Satan doesn’t stand a chance. Get alone with God. Whatever it means–worshipping on your way to school, waking up a few minutes early to be in the Word, or talking to Him while you’re working out. Be with Him. He loves to be with you.
One of my favorite leaders is found in 2 Chronicles 20. King Jehoshaphat was in a place where he didn’t know what to do. 
He was the King of Judah and he was facing a vast army. King Jehoshaphat was scared. The first thing He did was ask the Lord what to do. He gathered the whole nation and they came before the Lord in prayer.
In verse 12, the king said“We don’t know what to do, but our eyes are on you”. The Lord responded to him and told him to go and fight–The victory was already won. So, Jehoshaphat went to fight. He didn’t send his finest troops, with the finest weapons. He sent a choir. The victory was won by their worship and not a single enemy lived. You don’t have to know everything. You don’t have to be perfect, but by being transparent in your weakness He will guide you. Worship the Lord in every season. The greatest leaders didn’t have it together all the time, and that’s okay. Leading is about pointing others to Jesus–the one greatest leader there ever was. Keep your eyes on the Kingdom. When our time on earth is done, your work here on earth will be rewarded with, “Well done my good and faithful servant”.
-Cameryn Plemons, Richland High School, S3 President
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