The 5 Cs of Expanding Your Leadership Capacity

As your church attendance and volunteer base grows, are you growing with them? Do you use the same techniques and skills you’ve always used, or do you focus on evolving into the leader God has called you to be? As Author Marshall Goldsmith put it, “What got you here won’t get you there.”

At the Global Leadership Summit, Life.Church Senior Pastor Craig Groeschel taught leaders to expand their leadership capacity, understanding that God wants to do exceedingly and abundantly more through us than we would think possible. To achieve this, Pastor Craig outlined the five Cs of Expanding Your Leadership Capacity:

• Build Your Confidence
• Expand Your Connections
• Improve Your Competence
• Strengthen Your Character
• Increase Your Commitment 

Build Your Confidence

So many times, leaders become the lid of an organization, not allowing growth due to their own negative self-talk. From phrases like “there aren’t enough hours in the day” and “I can’t get it all done” to “there’s not enough me” and “I can’t handle anymore,” negative talk can derail God’s plan for our lives and our churches. 

To effectively lead a team, leaders must switch the narrative in their minds. Pastor Craig encourages us to step out of our insecurities and into the calling and authority we have in God. Confidence comes in knowing that God has given us everything needed to do what he’s called us to do.

Expand Your Connections

We are continually changing into a combination of the people around us. So, to take that next step in leadership, seek a mentor to give further insight to ask the questions you didn’t even know you needed to ask. Pastor Craig calls this The Gift of Disorientation. 

Mentors who we respect and look up to can help change the way we think. God can position people in our lives who can dramatically change our leadership capacity. You may be one relationship away from changing the course of your destiny.

Improve Your Competence

Every leader has strengths and weaknesses; however, there may be specific areas unknown to us hindering our leadership effectiveness. It’s important to understand these blind spots that need improvement to be the leader you’re called to be. Ask a close friend, spouse, mentor, peer what some of these might be. And if you’re already aware, you’re one step closer to growing. 

Whether it’s communication, delegation, time-management, or even how you manage team meetings, improve your competence in areas you struggle and see how God strengthens and expands your leadership ability.

Strengthen Your Character

As Pastor Craig said at the Global Leadership Summit, “Talent can get you to the top, but only character can keep you there. If your character isn’t strengthening, your future potential is weakening.” It’s important for us to take a self-assessment to check our lives for leaks. 

Is something in your private life that would derail your public life? Seal the leak so you can honor God in all you do. Take steps to remove any possible future temptation today so you won’t have to struggle with it tomorrow.

Increase Your Commitment

Actions speak louder than words, and when it comes to committing whole-heartedly, how badly you want something will determine what you will do to get it. In your ministry, what do you feel called to pursue? If you feel strongly about reaching the youth in your community, what are you doing to create a welcoming culture for young people in your church? 

At Life.Church, we will do anything short of sin to reach people who don’t know Christ. To reach people no one is reaching, we’ll do things no one is doing. How badly do you want to see God move? What will you do that no one is doing? Commit whole-heartedly and see the change that comes from it.

Remember, there is more inside of you than you realize, allow God to expand your leadership capacity!

More Resources from The Global Leadership Network

If you haven’t already, watch the video of the 5 Cs of Expanding Your Leadership Capacity and explore more about unlocking your leadership potential. And for more relevant and valuable content, check out the resources from our partner The Global Leadership Network. With content from leadership expert John C. Maxwell, legendary NFL Coach Tony Dungy, and many more, The Global Leadership Network has an abundance of resources to help you lead your team to reach more people for Christ.