Power

In the news reports about Facebook’s privacy scandal, one commentator said, “Facebook has more power than some countries.” It was an off-handed remark, but it caused me to pause and think. Is that true? Clearly, with 2 billion subscribers, Facebook has enormous, worldwide influence. But those users can unsubscribe at any time, so Facebook’s power is ultimately dependent on the voluntary decisions of individual people to give them that power. And that’s where the Facebook story becomes important for leaders in churches and ministries. Sometimes I hear leaders in those settings say that they don’t have any power. That’s not true. If you sit in a leadership role, whether as a volunteer or professional, you have the power that comes from the formal authority of your position. You also have an even more important platform for influencing others. What you choose to highlight or ignore, to invest in or to de-emphasize, will shape organizational priorities. It is true, however, that your power can be curtailed or removed relatively easily. Even more than Facebook, people can choose to “unsubscribe” from your organization. And so the Facebook story should be a sober reminder for any leader to not be cavalier about the power that they have. Abuses of power will eventually come to light. And when that happens, the consequences can be severe. Interestingly, one of the most powerful acts of leadership can be an intentional choice to self-limit one’s power. Especially this week, as we reflect on Jesus’ journey to the cross, we should let his example inform how we use whatever power we’ve been given. It’s easy to receive my blogs by email. Just sign-up on Feedburner by clicking here.]]>