Major on the Majors, Minor on the Minors

There is a concept in Christian circles about developing a hierarchy for what's most important. The concept tells us to "major on the majors, minor on the minors." What this basically means is that not everything is so important as to lose a friend or your faith over. There are certainly things that are extremely important and we must believe and hold fast to them. Things such as the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, and Christ as the only means of salvation are all examples of "majors." These are the things that are the most important and, if questioned, must be answered swiftly and correctly. Other things just might not be worth fighting about. Ya know, things like whether or not a Christian can drink or where dinosaurs are mentioned in the Bible probably aren't worth it. It's a great concept, it's helped me a lot in my walk. It's so good that I think it should be applied to other aspects of life as well.

If you are a leader, or have been given any power over people whatsoever, then I think you need to weave this into your management style. You need to decide what you are willing to fight for and what doesn't matter as much. I have seen leaders who are willing to fight for everything and they end up upsetting everyone in the process. Every little thing is made into a major issue that must be dealt with by having meetings, making policies, and holding training sessions on the proper way to wipe your butt or something like that. This gets exhausting really quick. These types of leaders remind me of the chihuahua that lives next door in my apartment building. Every time I walk out of my door or up the stairs I hear him start barking and growling at the door. It annoys all who are involved; the chihuahua owners, me, the other neighbors; everybody. We all roll our eyes because I pose no threat, there's not real danger, so the chihuahua is actually creating an issue where one never existed. His reaction comes from a desire to prove his size, to intimidate, and because he's afraid. The best leaders out there rarely have these kinds of things in their heart. Side note, all chihuahuas are like this, that's why I would never get one. Ron Swanson said it best on Parks and Rec when he said:

The best leaders are like my parents' dog, Farley (whom I purchased, named, and had to give to them when I moved to Salem). Farley is a beautiful German Shepherd/Husky mix. He's big, strong, a little older now, and he doesn't waste his time or effort growling and barking at things that don't matter. When someone knocks on the door, he doesn't bark, he just checks out the person to see if they're safe. A small varmint runs by, he's doesn't bat an eye. These things aren't worth calling attention to because he has learned they're not a threat and not worth it; they're minor to him. I'll tell you what is major to Farley: babies! He loves babies and small children. The last time I saw Farley bark and bear his teeth was at another dog in the family; a pitbull named Brody. This pitbull wasn't a mean dog, Farley just thought he was careless sometimes. My brother had brought home his newborn baby girl and Brody came running up to see her and put his schnoz right in her face. This, obviously, upset the baby. So Farley jumped up, barked sternly in Brody's face, and growled at him until Brody walked away. Being careful around babies is a major deal to Farley.

Here's what I'm saying if you haven't figured it out yet; don't be a chihuahua leader. Be a Farley leader. Figure out those few (you can't choose everything) major things and communicate well to your team why they're major to you.  Let the minor things pass without making an ordeal out of it and offer grace to your team in those times. That way, if a major thing gets violated, threatened, or challenged, your bark will actually mean something. Otherwise, you're just a chihuahua barking at everything that passes by your door.