Leadership Lessons:“Derecho de Piso”
When I reflect on my time serving with the International Mission Board (IMB) in Buenos Aires, the memories come rushing back like waves. Besides all the memories of the people we love and the culture that shaped us for over a decade, I think about the leadership lessons I gleaned during that time. I was a young leader for our mission organization in the city, but the mission was well-established and one of the oldest in the world. We had a long history with the Baptist churches and entities in the city and the country.
At the time, I was asked to lead a team in the city when I was in my early 30s. The majority of the Baptist leaders in the city were mature, some had led their churches for as long as I had been alive. The relationship between the organization and the local Baptist leadership was complicated. A decade or so before I arrived in the country, a change in mission strategy occurred, and the mission pulled back from established Baptist work to focus on groups and areas where there was less Christian presence. As with most exit strategies, the exit was clunky. People were hurt. Relationships were broken. There are certainly things our organization would do differently if we could go back and do them again.
As a new young leader, part of my role was to renew broken relationships. It was quite a task. Out of respect for the history of our organization, the local brothers and sisters graciously allowed me to return “to the table.” But, I learned quickly that having a seat at the table did not constitute the privilege of being heard at the table. That had to be earned. There’s a Spanish phrase that explains this perfectly and doesn’t exist in English. The phrase is “derecho de piso.” The literal translation is “right to the floor.”
I’m thankful the Lord and the leaders I worked with in Argentina eventually granted me the privilege of “derecho de piso.” But, I’m most thankful for how they taught me to earn it. It shaped not just my leadership, but also my heart toward others. Let me share a few things I learned in case they might be useful on your leadership journey…
Love must be genuine. As much as we, leaders, would love to think we can fool people with our facade, most people can spot false love pretty quickly. It’s nearly impossible to hide our genuine affections. They come out in our actions. These affections are most visible in the small things we do. People can tell if you love them or if you’re using them. Genuine love for those we hope to lead is necessary if we desire to lead.
Learning comes first. One of the ways people identify genuine love is an interest in learning. I consumed news and history when I was in Buenos Aires. It was impossible to have real relationships without it. I asked these brothers and sisters to teach me important things in their culture: How to prepare maté (their favorite hot drink) and how to prepare an asado (grill out). My vulnerablity to learn from others built trust allowing them to be vulnerable to listen to me.
Relationship is required. I knew the favorite fútbol team of every pastor and leader in the city. I went to the big events at their churches. I met their wives and families. We drank coffee. We visited each other’s houses. We prayed for each other’s children. Eventually, we would share dreams for ministry together. We had real relationships. The most difficult leadership seasons I’ve experienced are leading without relational equity.
Serve others’ goals. Are you willing to give of yourself to help someone else accomplish his/her goal without it helping you to achieve your goals? If you can’t do that for someone else, they most likely won’t be willing to do it for you.
Hard work must be observed. Those I hoped to lead, needed to see my willingness to sacrifice and work hard doing what I was asking them to do. And it was best observed when I didn’t know or think anyone was watching.
Humility unlocks the door. If you know everything, if you can do everything, you’ll probably do ministry by yourself. It’s important to value the contributions of others. If you value them, they are more likely to value you…and maybe even be willing to follow your lead.
Add value to mutual goals. What do you contribute to accomplishing the mutual goal? When I was a young leader, I could contribute time, connections, and research. Frequently, it was a more mature leader who knew of what I could contribute that invited me to take the floor rather than me taking the initiative.
Choose your “battle” wisely. Every leader has moments when they must speak. Silence isn’t an option. You must take the floor. One of the greatest challenges is choosing which moments require you to take the floor and which ones don’t. Discernment is essential, and the first step is to acknowledge that not every moment is “that” moment.
