What do you need to lead well?

By Shannon Reese

You have gifts, talents, skills, and experience leading others. You’ve taken opportunities to lead and you have led to the best of your ability. 

But something is missing!

You know you need to learn more, be developed, be stretched and encouraged in your leadership. You want, no, you need a mentor to lead well. You are desperate for someone in your life to encourage you and be honest with you. You need someone to teach you what you need to know that you didn’t even know you needed to know that you can’t admit you don’t know because you’re supposed to be the leader. You need a coach to encourage discipline in the everyday and advice and motivation through the vacillating seasons of leadership. You need to hear someone say: 

“I believe in you.”

“I see something special in you.” 

“God didn’t make a mistake when He created you as a woman and a leader. He knew exactly what He was doing and has a place for you to lead well.” 

“The world needs your voice… and your leadership.”

“I am on your team.” 

“I want to pray for you, listen to you, and share with you my experiences.”

“You can do this.”

”You are not alone.” 

Leading as a Christian woman in our culture today is not easy. Most Christian women who want to develop their leadership express a lack of female voices and mentors to learn from. 

If I could sit across from you, coffee in hand, I would ask you to tell me your leadership story. How has God strategically prepared you for the leadership role you hold now? What are your leadership dreams for the future?

We could talk about the roadblocks you may experience and the detours that can lead to a new and better way. We could share stories of struggle, feelings of intimidation and frustration over misplaced expectations. I could remind you that you have something to offer each person you lead and lead alongside.

Oh, how I wish we were sitting face to face so I could listen to you, encourage you, pray for you and share a few of the lessons I’ve learned from almost four decades of leadership.

Why?

Because Christian women leading need each other. Leading is often difficult and lonely. We were made for community; leadership mentoring is essential to the health and longevity of our leadership.

Until we can share coffee someday, I hope this blog will offer you some lessons I’ve learned. And I hope these lessons will help you lead this next generation better than my generation has led you. I hope these lessons will be a guide on your leadership journey. You’ll get the chance to hear stories, learn from my mistakes, and maybe sometimes, even from a few successes.

For years, I looked for a resources like this and couldn’t find it anywhere. I desperately wanted to learn more about leadership from other women but struggled to find leadership content written by women for women.

So, this is it. 

This is the blog I’ve always wanted to read; the book I’ve always wanted someone to write.

It’s the brainchild of Danya Jordan and myself, Shannon Reese. We have friends who will contribute too. And I am confident that what you read in these blogs will help shape your leadership in God-honoring ways.

The world doesn’t just need Christian women leading. THEY NEED YOU! So check back often. Send us an email. Tell us your story. We promise to celebrate, encourage, and equip you with what we’ve learned along the way.

We are Christian Women Leading… together.