A former pastor of mine, Timothy Teague, recently described his observations of a kayak guide in Tybee Island, Georgia. People of all ages, backgrounds, and experience levels came aboard the kayak not fully knowing what was in store for them. Yet, they trusted the kayak leader. One would think that the leader would do a bulk of paddling, but this was not the case. The trusting sojourners paddled for themselves. Most striking was that the guide was facing backwards while leading and giving instructions to his kayakers. The kayak leader did not have to turn around because he had been there before. He could determine where he was just because of the surroundings. The leader led the kayakers from their point of entry to their point of departure, while keeping them safe and helping them gain confidence and experience.
The whole scene he describes is a striking picture of what leadership looks like (or ought to look like). How many times do we define leadership in terms of “us up there” and them “down there?” Do we lead with our backs turned? Or do we want to be the center of attention doing all of the paddling? Are we empowering people to grow, or just to stay on the shore not risking anything? Are we creating an environment where people feel as though they will “return safely” and can trust our guidance? And do we realize that we have too have traveled through the river led by another “kayak leader” named Jesus?
