Leadership can sometimes be as simple as taking the initiative. The problem is that initiative involves risk, which can look like ocean waves crashing over rocks.
We wonder what people will think. And what happens if we fail? Or insult someone? Or say the wrong thing? What’s the damage report if we crash?
Paul, who lived and worked in the first century, can give us some insights into leadership. He was a master at taking risks.
Paul’s usual strategy when entering a new city was first to visit the synagogue. There he could connect Jews to the Messiah. Because of their history, they understood much of what he described. That strategy worked well in his travels.
Philippi was a major Roman colony in the first century. When Paul came to Philippi, his approach vaporized. There was no synagogue. There weren’t enough Jews to establish one. And so he had to re-evaluate.*
Somehow he heard about a prayer meeting on the Sabbath outside of town. Roman pagans weren’t likely to attend Sabbath prayer meetings, so Paul suspected these people were Jews and God-fearers. God-fearers were Gentiles who saw something attractive and wise in Judaism, in contrast to the bold claims of the many gods and goddesses of paganism.
This prayer meeting consisted of Jewish and God-fearing women. That explains the lack of a synagogue since it took 10 Jewish men to form a synagogue. Women didn’t count.
Jewish and God-fearing Gentile (non-Jew) women meeting for prayer outside a major Roman colony might prefer some privacy. So, in a sense, Paul crashed the meeting.
That took initiative. He could have bypassed the meeting. Maybe the next city had a synagogue. Perhaps he’d find a group of Jewish men who would listen to his words.
Instead, Paul spoke to the group. If these women knew something of Judaism, they knew that this Jewish man shouldn’t be talking to them. But leadership can be bold, and Paul stayed focused on his goal: to introduce Jew and Gentile to Jesus.
Lydia, a wealthy businesswoman, listened to Paul and believed his words. She was probably a Gentile but, as a God-fearing woman, she was familiar with the Jewish stories. She had heard of Abraham and Moses, of David and Isaiah. She knew something of God’s plan.
Lydia believed what Paul said, and she was baptized. A God-fearing Gentile would have to go through a program of requirements to become a full-fledged Jew, which would culminate in baptism to declare the change from Gentile to Jew.
Paul bypassed that Jewish process. Lydia no longer had prerequisites to complete. God opened her heart to faith, and she was transformed.
She and her entire household were baptized. She had serious influence, and Paul had triggered it by his initiative. He had gone boldly into a place where he might have felt unwelcome. He had gone where his words might have confused.
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Initiative involves uncertainty. Paul spoke many times to people who did not believe. He would soon face significant opposition in Philippi and find himself in jail because he went boldly.
A bold leader accepts risks. Things don’t always go as we’d hope. Repercussions look destructive, like those ocean waves.
Leadership is not about taking the safe or comfortable path. It’s about taking initiative, risking failure and opposition.
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Transformation. Freedom. These are reasons to risk a crash. Paul saw people in need and he jumped into the situation.
Have you ever taken a risk as a leader? Did the results encourage or discourage you? Have you taken more chances because of that initial decision?
*This story can be read in Acts 16:12-15.
