Personal Narrative: Building Below The Waterline

“A leader has to watch every word he or she says and quickly learns that you can’t go through life without a few critics, some well deserved” (pg. 5), this quote as some of the beginning words from MacDonald truly shows that a leader has responsibilities to uphold to. I found it interesting that he showed these responsibilities are not only external, but internal as well. Many do not realize the internal battles that leaders in ministry go through, and in order for leaders to handle a situation in a mature manner; they must uphold to the responsibilities of character they are expected to maintain. There are many internal and external expectations of leaders that are specified in Building Below the Waterline, but only some really stood out to me as factors that I would practice more than others in my leadership positions. As I mentioned earlier, leaders go through many battles, and it is very difficult to find an individual that can truly be trusted for …show more content…
Until this year, I never really saw the importance of having a mentor, and I think this is because I rejected the idea of being completely vulnerable with another person. Although, this section in MacDonald’s book really brought into perspective that as a leader without someone wiser than myself, I will not be “sharpened” or in other words, I will not grow in my faith the way I wish to. A mentor who is not afraid to be honest, and call me out on my wrongs, but also recognize my strengths is important. Specifically, I find my mentor quick to call me out when she feels I am not being fully honest (which is a lot), and I need that. I have began to think how hard life would be without her by my side, and I thank God everyday for bringing her into my life. This being said, I feel that MacDonald hit the point perfectly, and that a mentor is a necessity in the life of a leader and this is supported in many passages in