Shepherding Insights

My GCSE Shakespeare text was Twelfth Night—far more entertaining than Macbeth, which my daughter tackled and I’ve now endured seeing that play twice. And with another child coming up through the ranks, I’m bracing myself for a third encounter. I’ll take a romantic comedy over a blood-soaked tragedy any day.

In Twelfth Night, Act 2, Scene 5, Malvolio declares:
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.”
Malvolio is an awkward fellow, but that quote has stayed with me since my teenage years.

As a priest, people often speak of vocation—a calling into ministry. My own journey toward ordination was anything but expected. The call came suddenly, unmistakably strong, and caught me entirely by surprise one Christmas Eve.

Yet it was a recent conversation before a speaking event that prompted a deeper reflection: leadership itself is a vocation.

Most of us don’t carry the title “Leader,” and yet leadership permeates everything we do. For some, it’s about leading ourselves well, modelling integrity and resilience. For others, it’s the call to lead leaders—to nurture, equip, and send others out on their own leadership journey.

Recently, I spoke at a gathering of those serving in lay ministry—people who sustain the life of our churches without being ordained. The room was full of wisdom and varied experience, with some having come from high-powered careers. My role was to speak about leadership and encourage them in their ministries.

We began with a conversation: what makes a good leader? Names like Winston Churchill, Jacinda Ardern, and of course, the ultimate Christian role model—Jesus—came up. The qualities we unearthed were rich and meaningful: integrity, communication, collaboration, and more.

And then came the twist—they themselves were leaders.

Not just those wearing collars, but each person in that room had a leadership vocation. One attendee told me afterward how startled she was by the realisation. I asked them to revisit the qualities they’d identified—what did leadership look like in their own lives? I didn’t ask them to share—but the moment of honest reflection was enough.

For me, my leadership vocation means being a Leader of Leaders. There is extraordinary joy in lifting others up – spotting an unspoken gift or dormant vocation and helping it flourish. Investing in people and watching them lead, fulfilling their purpose is one of the great privileges of my ministry.

But vocation must be held carefully. We’ve all suffered under leaders placed in roles that didn’t quite fit—where something essential didn’t resonate. Leadership as a function is one thing; leadership as a vocation is another entirely. It’s the added value we bring, the soul behind the skill.

So, take the time to discern it. Speak with people you trust. Pray. Listen well. And lean into the leadership vocation that’s waiting to be discovered.

Doing the thing for which you were born is one of the most liberating things you will ever do.