The Rooted Leader: Eric Geiger on Leading Like Nehemiah

You encourage leaders to bite off more than they can chew, to grow their capacity. Busy pastors might balk at that, saying they’re already overwhelmed. How do you convince them to endure discomfort so transformation can occur? 

To grow muscles in the gym, you must overwhelm them. That involves lifting more weight than you have before, but not so much that you’re crushed. The same is true with leadership muscles. Being intentionally overwhelmed forces you to learn new skills, to develop others to help you pursue the big vision, or to stop doing less-fruitful work so you can devote more energy and attention elsewhere. 

Yes, you feel overwhelmed, because ministry is never-ending. But setting a big goal helps you focus. You’ll likely be overwhelmed either with or without focus, so you might as well choose focus.

Being a servant must come before being a leader, you write. In your family, your church and your Rooted Network, how do you strive to serve in small ways? 

I look for ways to serve that aren’t connected to my role. They remind me of my identity as a servant just because I’m a Christian and Jesus has served me. For four years, I led a small group for high school guys. I received the same training as other volunteer small group leaders. It was so good for my soul. 

My wife and I are committed to using our home to serve our kids and their friends. Being hospitable reminds me of how Christ has welcomed me to himself. I seek opportunities to serve that would never be on my job description. Ironically, doing so gives me more credibility for everything that is on my job description.