Women in leadership

Gwyn Oakes, Ladies Ministries President, UPCI

It has been said that you cannot sell a product unless you are first sold on it yourself. After being scripturally born again, it should be very rewarding to work in the harvest in the position of leadership. A person is usually chosen in structural leadership after having been observed in action and been found to mesh well with the experience and expertise needed to fill a particular office.

A very important attribute of a good leader must be the ability to make right decisions. In order to do this she must be well versed on the work at hand. There is always an answer in the Word of God. “Study to show yourself approved.” Because we are accountable one to another, we need to understand that when we fail to give our best the entire structure suffers.

A woman in leadership should always be aware that without her coworkers she could accomplish very little. She must remember to share her successes with the people who actually do the work. When work goes unappreciated, it often lags. Paul says it well in Romans 13:7: “Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom: fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.”

Structural leadership builds upon a solid foundation of other members. A good example of this is found in Exodus 17:12. When team members are involved, it provides strength and encouragement and a sense of inspiration and spiritual growth. The greater the structure, the greater the strength. In this manner it also provides training and mentoring for future leadership. When a woman in structural leadership fails to mentor, she is only destroying or endangering the cause in which she is involved.

A woman in leadership must never feel that her title or position translates to authority and respect. Respect is earned, not demanded. A major situation a leader faces comes at the time when they are not re-elected to an office. Someone rightly said when a person goes out of office, their true spirit surfaces. One’s position should never be so controlled by their ego that when the position falls their ego goes with it.