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As I sat here pondering the concept of "Vocational Wellness," the word "Leadership" came to mind. One thing that has become significantly apparent to me is that we are currently in a global leadership crisis. John Maxwell said it best, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." I've been learning a lot about leadership; not through books, podcasts, videos, or conferences. I have been learning what authentic leadership looks like, feels like, and sounds like from the master leader himself, the Holy Spirit.
I've worked with high school and college students for the past ten years. I've developed this passion for leadership development. I have no official strategy for student development, but I have paid very keen attention to each student. I have learned that ANYONE can lead well. It doesn't take a particular personality type but confidence, humility, authenticity, empathy, and most importantly, love. How do we produce confident, humble, authentic, empathetic, and loving people? Well, we give them a voice. We foster autonomy, teach them to listen, and treat them with patience and kindness.
I can remember facilitating many discussions with my students on very controversial topics and leaving those discussions feeling so inspired. Everyone got to share their opinions, many times opposing views, but they listened to learn rather than heard to respond. Even the very reserved and introverted ones mustered up the courage to share their thoughts and opinions. We set a culture of respect, empathy, and trust. It was a space where people wanted to be. Where they could learn, grow, and even make mistakes. They knew they were only getting better.
As I parallel this with the professional world, I don't think it should be any different, but unfortunately, we have so many toxic work environments filled with anxiety and stress. Though passionate about their work, many people struggle to find fulfillment in their jobs because the settings are overwhelmingly heavy. This brings me to my original point, everything rises and falls on leadership.
Vocational Wellness speaks to the satisfaction and fulfillment one gets from their work. Although this typically relates to choosing the career path that best aligns with your passions, values, and interests, the work environment also has a significant impact. Jesus spoke about leadership in the most counter-cultural way, and quite frankly, if we followed his example more often, our world would look entirely different.
In Mattew 20:25-28, Jesus says to his disciples:
You know that the rulers of the Gentiles have absolute power and lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them [tyrannizing them]. It is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your [willing and humble] slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many [paying the price to set them free from the penalty of sin].
And there we have it, folks, to lead; we must serve those we want to lead. In serving others, we can get their very best performance. When people feel respected, valued, appreciated, and heard, they are more likely to not only perform at the utmost but also will find fulfillment in all they do. Vocational wellness is critical for mental health, productivity, and harmony in our world.
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