EDITORIAL
Transformation | Derwin Gray
Growing as a leader is not optional—it’s your responsibility. It’s your yes to the call God placed on your life.
Back in my NFL days, Vince Tobin, my defensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts, had a saying that still ricochets in my mind: “You’re either getting better or you’re getting worse.”
I believe the same holds true for leadership. You’re either growing or you’re declining. Leadership is not static. It’s dynamic. Every day, you make decisions that either sharpen your influence or dull it. And if you don’t grow, others around you won’t grow either. If your people aren’t growing, your organization—whether it’s a church, business, family or team—won’t reach its God-given potential.
Here are three questions I want you to consider:
Do You Really Want to Grow?
Not everyone does. Growth costs something. Leadership growth means embracing discomfort and sacrifice.
You don’t get stronger by thinking about the gym. You grow by actually lifting weights. You don’t become a better leader by wishing for it. You grow by doing the hard, holy work through the Holy Spirit’s power.
Leadership growth happens at the speed of intentionality. You must hunger to grow. You must choose it every day.
Do You Work Both Smart and Hard?
When I first started golfing, I practiced constantly. I worked hard. But I still wasn’t good because I was swinging the club wrong. I didn’t seek out a coach. I didn’t get any feedback. I didn’t study how to properly swing a golf club. I never got better because I didn’t work smart.
Leaders don’t just need grit—they need wisdom to marry with their hard work. And the result is leadership growth.
As a pastor, I earned a Doctor of Ministry in the New Testament. Why? Because I wanted to rightly divide the Word of Truth and preach the gospel with clarity, conviction and depth. I let mentors speak into my life who are further along in the pastoral journey. I read theology to deepen my soul and leadership books to sharpen my skills. Why? Because I believe that if I don’t grow, it hurts my team. It hurts my church. It hurts the mission.
God has called me to lead. That means his grace is enough for me to fulfill my calling, not by perfection, but by hunger. Not by striving, but through grace-fueled effort.
As Paul said, “But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than any of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me” (1 Cor. 15:10).
Do You Apply What You Learn?
You don’t grow as a leader by just reading books or taking notes at conferences. You grow when you take what you have learned and apply it. True learning is spelled A.C.T.I.O.N.:
• Active. Growth doesn’t happen by accident. You’ve got to engage, move, participate and initiate.
• Catalytic. Let your leadership spark change. Leadership multiplies.
• Trustworthy. Great leaders earn trust through consistency, humility and integrity.
• Invested. You can’t lead from a distance. Be emotionally and spiritually invested in the people you lead.
• Organized. Leadership requires structure. Systems help steward what God has entrusted to you.
• Now. Don’t wait. Don’t overthink. Don’t stall. Obedience is for today. Growth is for now.
When I coached football, I’d teach kids how to tackle. Some picked it up fast. Others struggled. Why? Because tackling takes courage. And courage can’t be taught. It must be chosen.
Leadership is the same. At some point, you have to say, “Let’s go.” You step up, take the shot, lead the meeting, have the hard conversation, cast the vision, own the failure, make the call.
Choose growth. Your leadership and those around you will be better for it.