Whether you see yourself as a gifted leader or prefer to go it alone, you might learn a thing or two from a silly goose. Much has been made of how geese develop remarkable synergy, allowing them to fly as far as 1,700 miles without stopping.
What if the most gifted goose leader decided he (or she) should by all rights remain in the lead for the entire trip south, because, after all, God would not want his (or her) gifts to be wasted? That gaggle would likely find itself floating on a frosty Canadian pond, never reaching those warmer climes to the south.
The same thing goes for the loners who might prefer their own solo adventure. I’m not sure how they measure this sort of thing, but I am told that the V-formation allows geese to fly 70% farther than they otherwise could. Flying in formation with the rest of the group and trading off the lead position enables geese to fly much farther than any of them could fly solo, and much farther than seems logically possible.
When the 12 disciples were jockeying with each other for the lead position in the group, Jesus chided them for thinking like the world. God’s way? Become servant and slave to the group. That means not going off on your own, but being part of a Spirit-driven synergy with other believers. It means leaders who ensure that each person plays his most effective God-given role . . . thrusting others into the limelight, sharing the load and then deflecting the credit because in truth it is a team accomplishment.
It is often in the best interest of the whole to work in concert and let someone else buck the headwinds for a while.
Take a lesson from a silly goose.
Pause and Reflect:
Synergy is any combining of energies, in which the power or effect that results is greater than could be produced by the individual contributors alone.
How can you participate in a synergy in your leadership calling? Where are you doing it already?
What new aspects could be helped by synergy – within your ministry circle and outside your normal organizational comfort zone?
Always take the time to acknowledge and affirm your fellow-geese, and pray for them!
– LeaderSource SGA
© 2012 David Goodman. All rights reserved. Used with permission.
