Today I had lunch with someone who has been a friend high school. We talked about job changes that we have each recently gone through. As we were finishing our lunch he shared with me how he has viewed me over the years. He shared that he has always seen me as the type of leader who did not need to be in limelight. He remembered that I was a left tackle on the offensive line in our high school football team. He said he always saw me as someone who was content to do the dirty work of blocking for the running backs and protecting the QB’s blindside and did not need to be the star. I had the desire to see the team win and was willing to do what was needed to help the team. Then he shared that is how he has seen me in my professional world as well. This discussion reminded me of I Corinthians 12 where it talks about the parts of the body:The human body has many parts, but the many parts make up one whole body. So it is with the body of Christ. Some of us are Jews, some are Gentiles, some are slaves, and some are free. But we have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit, and we all share the same Spirit. Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it. How strange a body would be if it had only one part! Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it. (1 Corinthians 12:12-27 NLT This brought me to think about my role in leadership. I have always been the left tackle in my jobs. Target wanted me to be the QB, but I knew that was not my leadership skills. As I transition to a new role, it is important to look for a role where I can continue to be the left tackle, be behind the scenes helping the RB’s, WR’s and QB’s be stars. This is where God has gifted me. What is your role? Whatever it is, always strive to be the best in whatever gifts God has given you. If you are a left tackle, be happy about it. Always know that the the only time an offensive lineman is noticed is when the QB gets sacked or you are called for a penalty, but without the work that they do, the offense would not score and the team would not win.
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