3 Tips for Leading in the Shadow of a Great Leader

How do you work under the shadow of a great leader?

Maybe your church has a pastor who has been teaching for years, or maybe you work for someone who is well-respected in your organization. Can you become a great leader, with your own distinctive style, while working for another great leader?

Absolutely. It may not be easy, and it may not be fast, but working for a strong leader gives you the opportunity to learn, grow, and be held accountable. Then, one day, when it’s the right time, you’ll be ready to become a leader in your own right.

Here are three things to think about if you’re working in the shadow of a great leader:

Don’t act entitled.

Few things are more unattractive than entitlement. My generation has been taught that everyone is awesome, everyone gets a prize, and everyone is a winner—no matter what. So we go into the marketplace expecting that same treatment.

Not only that, but we want instant gratification. If things don’t go our way immediately, we give up or pitch a fit. If you think about this in terms of a church, it might be a new pastor who expects his church to grow tenfold in a year with a big budget, a large worship band, and a full staff. But that’s not reality. A lot of that growth comes small and slow, and it comes after years and years of experiences, mistakes and successes.

Success is rarely easy. And you’ll never achieve it by acting entitled. Instead, be content with what you have and where you are as a leader. Contentment isn’t laziness or apathy. Contentment is a spiritual experience that allows peace. It comes from gratitude and humility.

Instead of expecting more, be happy with where you are.

Respect authority.

Respecting authority can be difficult, especially when you feel like the leader doesn’t understand you or, even worse, doesn’t understand how to lead.

But you have to remember this: In some way, your leader built what you are standing on. My dad Dave Ramsey always says, “You’re standing on the shoulders of giants.” So try to remember that.

Craig Groeschel says that when you dishonor authority, you ultimately dishonor God. If you honor what God is doing, then you should also honor where he has you and who he has placed you under.

So how do you respect your leader? First, through your actions: Serve and trust them. Second, through your words: Honor your leader both publicly and privately. Third: Don’t suck up to your leader but don’t tear them down either—and that includes gossip, which is toxic in a workplace.

Be yourself.  

Don’t be a yes man. But don’t be a contrarian either. Be you. God only made one of you, so be yourself. Your church or ministry doesn’t want a clone of your senior pastor. You have to work within your strengths, without giving in to the temptation to be like someone else.

Believe me, as Dave Ramsey’s daughter, this is a tough one for me. He’s in the Radio Hall of Fame, and I’m just a twenty-something getting started in my career.

We believe the same things about money, but our styles, methods and the audiences we reach are very different. And I’ve learned to be okay with that—because this is who I am.

So as you grow into leadership, keep these things in mind. Entitlement, disrespect and being inauthentic won’t take you very far in your career. Look for any opportunity to learn from the leaders in your life, and soak it all in. That way, when your time comes, you’ll be ready.