Larry Osborne has been in ministry for over 4 decades and at his current church for 38 years…and he loves it.
Larry talks about how to thrive, why he’s never had to take a sabbatical, why he never uses an alarm clock (unless he’s travelling), shepherd leadership, and why raising up gifted, talented young leaders is so wonderful but still personally hard.
Welcome to Episode 229 of the podcast. Listen and access the show notes below or search for the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts and listen for free.
Guest Links
Larry Osborne | Facebook | Twitter | Lead Like A Shepherd
CNLP 096: Larry Osborne on How to Close the Back Door at Your Church and Truly Align Your Team
Episode Links
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The Problem of God by Mark Clark
Didn’t See It Coming by Carey Nieuwhof
3 Insights from Larry
1. Solutions are found when seeking answers outside of the tribe
Most of us have a tribe of people in our life who are easy to go to with questions in a place that’s close and comfortable when we can’t seem to find answers on our own. But what do you do when that tribe no longer has answers? What do you do when the group gets stuck inside a limited bubble with a problem that can’t seem to be resolved?
The answers to life’s toughest problems are not found in solitude or in the closest of community groups. Getting beyond stumbling blocks can only be done by going outside of one’s self and beyond the cozy, familiar tribe to seek insight from people who may see things differently than you.
2. A shepherd doesn’t build walls
When the time comes for a leader to pass the torch of ground-level care to someone else, it’s still important not to lose the heart required to make sure the job is getting done.
There’s a difference in saying, “I can’t help you anymore, so you can’t reach me” and “I know someone who can help you faster and better than I ever could.” One creates a wall, the other puts the needs of others first by getting someone in place who can help quickly.
Being a shepherd doesn’t require taking care of every individual lamb yourself, but it does mean making sure that every lamb is taken care of by someone.
3. Giving more than you get is the nature of servanthood
After 38 years in ministry, Larry has come to know the importance of keeping his motives on track and staying committing to a servant minded leadership style.
Often leaders look for new opportunities when they become frustrated at work – feeling they aren’t being heard or that their gifts aren’t being utilized. It’s so important in those seasons to remember that a servant gives more than receives. A servant is often taken advantage of and efforts easily go unnoticed.
There are always boundaries to draw – like protecting your marriage, your family, your health, but remember that to truly serve others you will always give more than you’ll ever get. That is the nature of servanthood and not something to run away from.
Quotes from Episode 229
There's a difference between what I have the potential to do and what I have the calling to do. @larryosborne Click To Tweet My job is to prepare the horse for battle, it's His job to decide whether I win or lose. @larryosborne Click To Tweet Being a Shepherd doesn't mean you're taking care of every individual lamb. It means you're making sure that every lamb is taken care of. @larryosborne Click To Tweet I discovered the answers to life's toughest problems are not found with me, my team or my tribe. They're found outside my tribe. @larryosborne Click To Tweet If I'm really a servant leader, when the score is kept I will have given more than I got. @larryosborne Click To Tweet At the end of the day, there are some relationships where you just give more than you're gonna get and that is the nature of servanthood. @cnieuwhof Click To TweetRead or Download the Transcript for Episode 229
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Read or download a free PDF transcript of this episode here.
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Next Episode: Pete Scazzero
Pete Scazzero will be the first to tell you that while he was successful on the outside as a leader, he was immature on the inside, and his wife had had enough. That moved Pete on a journey to figure out what was wrong and how to make it right. Raw, honest and gut wrenching, in this interview, Pete will help you gauge your level of emotional and spiritual maturity and help you make progress.
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