Understanding and Nurturing True Potential

Welcome to the Kids Ministry and Leadership Podcast. This month we are exploring True Potential in your leaders and how to understand and nurture it.
 
Show notes for this ep will be below.

Check us out!
Website
Instagram

The potential you see in other people isn’t real. It is the projection of what you would do in their position.
You see quite often we say “I can see potential in that person” but what we are actually doing is putting ourselves in their shoes with our skillset and not really unlocking THEIR POTENTIAL
Our goal is to understand how to see beyond our own projections and truly recognise and nurture the God-given potential in others.

1 Corinthians 12:4-6,  Ephesians 2:10
Understanding Projection
Projection occurs when we impose our own values, desires, preferences and potential onto others. Romans 12:3
Henry Kissinger sad - The task of the leader is to get their people from where they are to where they have not been.'
Dangers of Projection
Samuel 16:7. Projecting our expectations onto others can lead to misguidance, frustration, and missed opportunities. This passage in Samuel shows how people look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’ We must seek to understand the true essence of individuals rather than judging based on our own perceptions."
Jesus as a Model
Jesus exemplified the model of recognising and nurturing individual potential. In John 13:13-17, He washes His disciples’ feet, demonstrating servant leadership. Mark 10:45 - Jesus saw the unique roles and potential in each of His disciples and nurtured them accordingly."
Ralph Nader: 'The function of leadership is to produce more leaders, not more followers.’
Recognising True Potential
To recognise true potential, we must seek God’s wisdom and practice active listening. James 1:5 encourages us to ask God for wisdom. Proverbs 20:5
When I think of this I am reminded of something I read that says - “The best leaders are those most interested in surrounding themselves with assistants and associates smarter than they are. They are frank in admitting this and are willing to pay for such talents.'
1 Thessalonians 5:11
Practical Steps
Here are some practical steps to help recognise and nurture potential. Personal Reflection: Begin by acknowledging our own biases. Psalm 139:23-24. When a leader forces conformity through preference you kill intimacy between you and the leader as resentment grows and then intimacy with you and God also dies because you care more about performing to the preference than living out authentically
One-on-One Meetings isa other practical step - Spend time understanding individual goals. Spiritual Gifts Assessments are also super useful: Utilise tools to identify spiritual gifts so you know who is on your team. Mentorship and Coaching then bring this out: To sum that up I would say “A good leader leads the people from above them. A great leader leads the people from within them.'
Building a Supportive Community
A supportive community is vital for nurturing potential also. Romans 12:4-8 &1 Thessalonians 5:11 
Case Study: Barnabas and Paul Barnabas provides a powerful example of recognising and nurturing potential. In Acts 11:25-26, we see Barnabas seeking out Saul (later Paul) and bringing him to Antioch, where they taught together for a year. Barnabas saw Paul’s potential and played a crucial role in his development. This story teaches us the importance of identifying and nurturing potential in others, leading to significant impacts for the Kingdom."
John Maxwell the known Leadership expert says- A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way.'
Hebrews 10:24 & Philippians 2:3-4.