Model Leader

This past week I had the privilege to go to Freeport Illinois to share the Seacoast Leadership Development Strategy with the leadership team of Crossroads Church.  Crossroads is a multi-site church with 5 locations in...get this... Illinois, Wisconsin and Colorado.  Yes, you heard me right - Colorado. Lead Pastor, Keith Boyer, had pastored at Crossroads for 19 years when he felt God calling he and his wife Julie to plant a church in Colorado.  When Keith shared this calling with his elders they told him they wanted to pray about the decision as well.  After two weeks they told him they supported his decision to plant in Colorado but they wanted him to consider staying on as their lead pastor.  They reasoned that since they were a multi-site church anyway, why not let Keith lead from Colorado?  Besides, where is there a rule that the main site always has to be the main site?  That was three years ago and Keith will tell you it wasn't easy but the church has continued to thrive.  In fact they will be starting their 6th location in just a few months.After spending three days with Keith and his leaders I walked away thinking these guys are model leaders.  Here is what I learned...

1. Love those you Lead.  When a leader truly loves people they desire to be a part of what God is doing in that leaders life.  Keith obviously loves people and when he was called to leave they wanted to continue being a part of his vision.  QUESTION: Do those I lead know I love them?
2. Allow Others to Speak into Your Vision.  Keith, didn't want to impose the calling on his life upon his church.  He was going to willingly surrender to God's call and walk away from Crossroads.  But as he shared his calling and sought counsel a unique idea emerged from his leaders that has ended up being a blessing in the lives of all those involved.  QUESTION: Am I allowing others to speak into my vision?
3. Be Willing to take Ridiculous Risk.  I've learned after 38 years of being a Christ follower that God sometimes asks us to do things that do not make sense.  Transitioning a site that has a live speaker to a site that has video teaching is risky.   The audience at the original site would no longer have a live teacher.  The live teacher would no longer have an audience. (He knew no one in Denver so he was starting all over).  But this risk has paid off, Crossroads has grown and they are reaching more people today than three years ago.  QUESTION: What ridiculous risk is God asking me to take?

Who is a model leader you have seen lately?  What can you learn from them?