I’m Just a Guy: Not Sure How to LeadSample

Leadership Starts With Following

I’ve discovered that I often become like what—and who—I follow.

Not in some sci-fi “morphing into another person” way, but in the way my responses, habits, and even preferences start to reflect the people I’m closest to.

I think back to a season as a teenager when I was basically an apprentice to a large-equipment mechanic. At that age, who you attach yourself to shapes a lot of who you become. And in that season, I was glued to one of the best diesel mechanics around.

The way he approached engines blew my mind. When we’d arrive at a job, he moved like a doctor—asking the right questions, running the right “tests,” and diagnosing issues with calm confidence. Every step was intentional. By the time he explained the problem, customers were already confident he could fix it.

One of his simple joys? Motown.
In the truck, on the jobsite, in the shop—you’d hear “My Girl,” “Respect,” and “Stop! In the Name of Love” on repeat. Before working with him, I knew those songs existed, but they weren’t exactly on my playlist.

Then one day, he sent me back to the shop to handle a job on my own. It was going to take most of the day. Without thinking, I fired up the radio… and found myself tuning straight to Motown instead of my usual country or southern rock.

Hours later, when he walked in and heard the music, he just smiled. His influence had rubbed off on me—and it showed.

I share that story to highlight something we miss all the time:
Our walks are dramatically impacted by those we choose to walk with.

Because I spent so much time with that master technician, my habits, preferences, and even the way I approached problems began to shift. And when I look at my life now, I see an even more powerful example: who I’m following today changes everything.

I’ve learned that leadership has far more to do with who we follow than with any authority we think we hold. Jesus shows us this perfectly in how He called His disciples. They were ordinary men who had to make a conscious decision about whose voice would define their lives.

When they chose to follow Him, the world was turned upside down.

That was 2,000 years ago—but the pattern hasn’t changed. As I surrender more of my life to Jesus, I see His influence shaping how I lead my family, how I care for my body, how I approach my work. And the more closely I follow Him, the more others around me get curious. In a broken world, a man who follows Jesus wholeheartedly stands out.

So as we start this journey into leadership, we’ve got to settle this first:
Jesus must be the ultimate leader in our lives—always.

From the boardroom to the bedroom, He is King.
Once that’s established, we can start sorting out the details of how He wants us to grow as disciples and lead wherever He’s placed us.

Reflection Questions:

• Who are you truly following, and how is it shaping you?
• How is following Jesus changing how you lead others?

Before you move forward, take a minute to assess where you actually stand as a man, a leader, and a follower of Christ.

Every man ends up in one of three places:
Striving. Isolating. Or Leading with Trust.

Most guys don’t slow down long enough to recognize which one is shaping their decisions, their habits, and their spiritual health.

This 5-question Leadership Assessment will help you identify:

• Where you’re leading in your own strength
• Where you’re avoiding the hard things
• Where God is building real, steady, anchored leadership in you

This isn’t about perfection. It’s about awareness.

Because a man can’t lead his family, his team, or anyone else if he isn’t leading himself well first.

Take the assessment and step into the next level of leadership God is calling you to: https://thelionwithin.us/assessment/just-a-guy/not-sure/