The Power Behind Us

A couple days ago I was reading a Bible Study about the transition of leadership between Moses and Joshua and the Israelites as they were in the desert. They were crossing the Jordan river at flood capacity and just like when they crossed the Red Sea, God held up the waters and the entire group was able to cross over on dry land.

In it, the author made the following statement, "The leadership has changed but the power behind the leaders is the same."  Sometimes when I read scripture or a devotion it reminds me of something in my life either personal or work related. This one struck me as work related. In the last two years we have had a lot of change at work both on the national and state level. In my personal life there has been change as well.  This statement and the passage that supported the devotion made me think alot about the leadership changes we are experiencing.

Two years ago the national level of my work selected a new president and a few months ago we, at the state level also selected a new president. We as a nation a year ago selected a new leader as president. All of these changes in leadership does not change the character of the organization or nation because we as a group are the power behind the leader. Just as God was the power behind the leaders Joshua and Moses there is power behind the new leaders. In the organization, it's the volunteer leader. They are the ones who vote on policy directions and determine the steps of the organization, the president is important and leads the way and makes sure all voices are heard but they can not accomplish their goals without the power of the volunteer force behind them. It's incredible to have the behind the scenes view point to see the work put in by the leaders in the organization. They dedicate hours to making sure the goals are being met and continue to strive to make the group better.

I personally have been through three presidents at the state level. They all have dedicated years, sometimes decades to leading the organization as county leaders then as state leaders before taking the reins as president. I know the first president worked hard to make sure the organization was financially sound and helped grow the staff from just a few people several. We are a small state as it goes in membership and staffing but we are mighty. I sometimes think that having a smaller staff gives us an advantage because so many of us are cross-trained in so many different areas, we get to live outside our job descriptions because we all pitch in for planning events and programs that might not be in our area. With smaller counties, our leaders also get more opportunities to participate in events and programs because they can become board members, committee members or program chairs quicker than some of the larger states. It doesn't mean smaller groups are better or worse than their larger counterparts. They are all part of the larger organization and part of the continuing strength and power of the organization.

The second president lead the organization into the digital age and from a staff perspective included the entire staff. He would walk down the hall and stop and visit with staff, not just directors but field staff, writers and admins. It was nice to feel included in the organization to be part of the inner workings of how the group was operating. It also allowed him to hear and see what happening within the volunteers as well as participate and "press the flesh" with the members. I see this with the national president as well. I really like that he has continued to get out to the states and visit with members just as his predecessor did and take it to a new level.

Our new president at the state level I know will continue to make the organization great because she understands the volunteer power and I'm looking forward to watching from the sideline to see her lead the group with the same power and strength that her predecessors have.

Just as there were struggles in the desert with the Israelites and they sometimes feared the unknown they had the power behind them and change is hard. It's much easier to stick with what we know even if we don't like it and its hard than to step out and trust there is something better and to walk to distance to achieve it. We just have to remember that in the journey there is power behind us. It can come from our faith, our community and the volunteer members who believe in the organization and work to build a better community or organization. Just because there is a new leader doesn't mean the power is new, it's always been there, it's constant and it doesn't change.