Leadership begins and ends at home

Leadership begins and ends at home.

The place where one’s influence is fully tried, and where the effects of one’s leadership are most clearly seen, is in one’s own family. A leader with influence in the home will be obeyed by his children and respected by his wife. When Paul tells Timothy how to select good leaders for the local church in Ephesus, one key place he says to look is the leader’s family life:

He must manage his own household well,
with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
for if someone does not know how to manage his own household,
how will he care for God's church? (1 Ti 3:4-5)

This is also the final place one’s leadership is tried. Whether your employees follow or not, a leader begins and ends every day with his family, and will be responsible to lead them long after employment at any company.

In an entrepreneur’s passion to see his vision created, he may lose sight of what’s most important over all. For before he began the business venture, God entrusted to him a family. This responsibility is a litmus test to his leadership. If his leadership at home is good, he moves forward with confidence into the marketplace, free to positively influence people. If his household is mis-managed, it is likely he will do the same elsewhere. Even if he chooses to put forth his best efforts outside the family, the effects of poor leadership at home will inevitably catch up to him. Therefore it behooves the best entrepreneur to put forth his best efforts before and after he starts his work.

On my way home from work I regularly remember my job responsibilities will pass soon, and all the passion and effort that goes into it. But fifty years from now I will still be responsible for my family. It’s not likely I’ll regret that I didn’t put in more hours at work, but I will the days I placed urgent but unimportant work above my family.

What I don’t think as often is whether my leadership at home benefits my family. I’m aware my actions speak volumes more than any other influence. I excel at showing Amie love through the way I prioritize time with her and give her my full attention, but my prayers and obedience are not at a level I’d want Amie to emulate. Maxwell’s description of his parent’s influence begins with earnest prayer and regularly speaking about God, but I’m not sure (were I to have children) that’s the first things they’d say of my influence (Maxwell, pg. 30).

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