Gail M. Hayes - The Power of a Woman Who Leads: Discover Your God-given Leadership Style

HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS

EUGENE, OREGON

All Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189 USA. All rights reserved.

Author photo by Doug Hayes Photography

Cover by Dugan Design Group, Bloomington, Minnesota

Published in association with The Steve Laube Agency, LLC, 5025 N. Central Ave., #635, Phoenix, Arizona, 85012.

THE POWER OF A WOMAN WHO LEADS

Copyright 2013 by Gail M. Hayes

Published by Harvest House Publishers

Eugene, Oregon 97402

www.harvesthousepublishers.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Hayes, Gail M.

The power of a woman who leads / Gail M. Hayes.

p. cm.

ISBN 978-0-7369-4936-1 (pbk.)

ISBN 978-0-7369-4937-8 (eBook)

1. Christian womenReligious life. 2. Self-actualization (Psychology)Religious aspectsChristianity. 3. Self-actualization (Psychology) in women 4. LeadershipReligious aspectsChristianity. I. Title.

BV4527.H394 2013

248.8'43dc23

2012027224

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any meanselectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

To Inez Riley McClain, who taught me to stand and refuse to accept defeat, to find joy in the midst of sorrow, to love in the face of intolerance and hatred, to see beauty even in unsightly places, and to lead even when others plan a mutiny.

She pushed aside her own dreams so that I could be who I have become.

She passed on the flame and ignited leaderships torch within me.

So all of us who have had that veil removed can see
and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord
who is the Spiritmakes us more and more like
him as we are changed into his glorious image.

2 C ORINTHIANS 3:18

Contents

If you want to see what eagles see, you must be willing to do what eagles do. You must embrace bravery and soar while understanding the risk. You must have no fear of heights, no fear of flying, no fear of peril or of the hunt. You must be willing to swoop down into dangers valley and capture your prey. You must become a warrior-leader. You must also understand that warrior leaders, like eagles, get to keep what they capture.

From the beginning of time, men have always known that they have the power to make decisions. Even as far back as the Garden of Eden, people were making decisions that would influence the future of all humanity. When God put Adam in the garden, He made a decision so critical to the survival of mankind that without it, no one would exist. He knew that it was not good for man to be alone and that he needed help to live out his purpose and fulfill his destiny. So the Creator of the universe made a powerful decision to create a helper for Adam who could handle monumental projects and become known as the master multitasker.

This helper could make snap decisions without hesitation and carry heavy loads without complaining. This helper could have a child in the morning, prepare lunch at noon, and work in the fields at night. This helper could sense danger before it arrived and wrestle it to the ground once it appeared while nursing her infant. This helper could go without food or sleep for days and yet still have the energy to defeat a nation.

This helper could cross a desert on foot and, with the sand still clinging to the bottoms of her feet, enter a throne room with the presence of a queen. She could do all these things and still be vulnerable enough to need Adams protection, all while watching his back better than the fiercest of warriors.

But God created this helper so complex and so multifaceted that even today, her thoughts and actions still befuddle the mind of man. Yet without her influence, man would be lost. God created this helper and everything on earth changed. The identity of this helper is easy for us to see. God called her good. I call her sister. She is me. She is you. She is woman.

Leading from the Beginning

Youre doing a great job, Adam. Im proud of you, God said as He and Adam walked through the garden. The wind tickled his cheeks with its soft fingers and Adam relaxed as his feet swept through the thick, green carpet of grass. The cherry blossom perfume was intoxicating, and Adam breathed in the fragrance as he stuck his chest out with pride.

Yes, and thanks goes to You, Lord. Youve taught me everything I know, and I love working here, said Adam. But God knew that it was just a matter of time before Adam would become lonely. He knew that His daily visits would not always be enough, and before long Adam would be yearning for something more. God knew because He placed that need within Adam when He created him. Adam would soon become lonely and long for something he did not yet know about. He would still need his daily walk with God, but this second need would complete his life.

Adam, I need you to do something for me, God said as the cool breeze of the day danced around them.

What is it, Lord? Anything You ask, I will do, said Adam as he slowed his pace and turned to face God.

Well, Adam, God said. Everything in the garden grew silent, holding its breath, waiting for Him to speak again. I need you to name all the animals here in the garden. He continued walking.

I can do that, Lord! When do we start? Adam asked as he ran to catch up with God. He was so excited that he nearly tripped over a giant ruby embedded in the garden pathway.

Lets start now, said God, and He turned and motioned for the first animal to come before Adam.

When Adam saw the animal, it was as if everything God had taught him leaked out through his ears. His mind went completely blank. This was a strange-looking creature, and he realized that this was going to be more difficult than he had originally thought. As hard as he tried, all the words seemed trapped in a vault bolted shut with this projects newness.

Adam stood before this creature and lost the ability to even think. He did not want to disappoint God and felt helpless to do what He had asked him to do. Adam began to question whether or not he could perform this task. This was different from anything God had asked him to do in the past.

He dropped his head and rounded his shoulders. He became unsteady on his feet. Then, suddenly, he experienced something he did not understand. He felt the veil of discouragement drape its chilly arms around him. This chilly veil began a slow descent over his spirit and Adam, for the first time in his life, was at a loss for words. All he could do was stand before God with his head bowed while trying to keep his balance. He felt a strange tingly sensation stinging his cheeks. He wiped his face and felt an unfamiliar wetness. He wept.