Tuesday; August 7


          In the late 1970s songwriters Jackson Browne and Bryan Garofalo wrote a tribute to life on the road as a major pop star.  The song, “The Load Out” became a hit (especially when combined with the remake of the Maurice Williams song, “Stay”) and came to define a generation of concert-goers and the behind-the-scenes people who made it all possible.  As I listened the song recently I was struck by the words, “People you’ve got the power over what we do – You can sit there and wait or you can pull us through – Come along, sing the song – You know you can’t go wrong.”.   As I thought about these words I realize just how much performers depend upon the crowd to generate an energy that allows them to do their best.  When the audience is engaged, the show is bound to be better than if the crowd just sits there like a bump on a log.
          Many of us are familiar with the New Testament passage, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17).  When we read this is it easy to get the impression that leaders seek to demand our respect and submission, but the best leaders I know are more interested in support.  Leaders get worn out trying to compel people to be involved, but what keeps them going is the dream of what might be possible if they could harness the energy of the group.  Just like a performer can become better with an enthusiastic crowd, good leaders can become great when their people create an inertia of activity.  If we want our leaders to be better and do more, we should remember, “People you’ve got the power over what we do – You can sit there and wait or you can pull us through ...”.
          Think About It!

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