The motto for the scout movement is, “Be Prepared”. This phrase also influences the spiritual leader as he begins and proceeds in leadership.

It is important to be prepared for the role that you are taking on. For example, if you do not know anything about basketball, it will make it difficult to play the game, much less lead a team. If you don’t know anything about music, playing an instrument will not generally go very well, and leading an orchestra, well who will follow you. I recall a US Senate hearing related to interviewing a new director of the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration). The nominee, demonstrated his complete lack of knowledge as related to aviation and was swiftly rejected.

But what does preparation mean and/or look like? It is widely known that learning comes from a number of places, so the formal education is not the only source. Now, it is important to be educated in a field in order to gain knowledge of that field, I will not argue. But what I will point out is that there are people who know more about a subject or field based on their experience and time spent in that field.

My father-in-law worked in the signage field for many years and then had his own welding shop for many years after that. An engineer came to him with specifications for a flag pole and my father-in-law rejected them telling the engineer that what he had was overkill and he could indeed get by with less to accomplish what he was wanting. The engineer left, recalculated and returned confirming with my father-in-law the new specifications would indeed work. It was not the formal education, but the deliberate study and experience in the field that produced the results.

Leadership is not that much different. It is preparation in the field that will produce the results. One must have a “plan to continue growing personally and mentally” – Henry & Richard Blackaby, in order to be prepared to lead spiritually. Leaders should stop and take a look at where they are and seek out the resources to get them where they want to be.

I get a lot of ribbing from my family for wanting to be prepared. I set up contingency plans on top of contingency plans to ensure that I will generally know what to do if things go a little sideways. The ribbing continues until that thing happens and the quick adjustment, that I had prepared for, is made and we just continue with our path. It is the knowledge and preparation that make the difference. Shouldn’t our preparation to spiritually lead be the same.

“²⁹Do you see a man skillful in his work?

He will stand before kings;

he will not stand before obscure men.”

— Proverbs 22:29 (ESV)

That skill comes from study and preparation. It does not generally come automatically. It is something that is worked on over time and will deliberate action. To have a skill or be a leader, we mus be prepared.

What is your thought on skills? Are you of the opinion that someone is just born with it? What if you were to see and understand that is more about learning and growing in the field and preparing for the role, in this case the role of spiritual leader?