Powerful Leadership as a Woman of Faith
by Rebecca Contreras
We are all leaders in our sphere of influence with the ability to affect change, no matter how small or large in scale. If we realize that God-given power within us and use it to help others, we can play a part in affecting extraordinary outcomes.
When I look back at my transformation—from being a pregnant teen and welfare-dependent high school dropout with substance abuse problems to achieving enormous success as a Christian business leader, there are three key principles that have been foundational in my journey, all of which are dependent on my embrace of God’s supernatural power and grace.
Take your seat at the table
To be a powerful leader as a woman of faith, you must take your seat at the table with grace and humility. Often, this requires us to change the way we think about ourselves. If we think that our seat at the leadership table is only given because of demands, mandates, and protests, our capacity to act as leaders will also be limited.
Our seat at the table is prepared for us by God. As women of faith, we serve a God of endless possibilities who wants to direct us into places we have never gone. He will open doors and give us new opportunities to create lasting, sustainable impact. We may start with only 4 square feet of space that we have influence over, but our ability to manage those 4 square feet of space determines how much God will expand it. The better we manage it, the more God will grow our sphere of influence.
Believe in your vision
I believe the mark of a great leader is one who aspires to something higher; something bigger than themselves. At 19, I was a high school dropout and teen mom living in poverty. I had no vision of a better future until the Lord showed me the true vision of who He created Rebecca to be. It revolutionized my life. Vision breaks the chains of limitations that we call “reality” and it allows us to cross over into God's world: the realm of possibility.
One of my favorite scriptures is Hebrews 11:1 “faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things yet unseen”. It tells us to hold onto vision. By digging into your faith in God, He helps you cultivate vision and keep it strong through wins, failures and losses.
Don’t Wait to Act
Don’t wait for God to show you the full picture or plan before you step out in obedience—because honey, you will wait forever! God doesn’t operate according to our timetable. He is looking for high capacity women who will step out in obedience to fulfill His plan.
Here are three key action steps that have enabled me to just leap out and execute in my own journey to become a powerful leader as a woman of faith:
1. Don’t wait for the perfect plan – No plan will ever be perfect. But the plan can be perfectly made for YOU because of God’s perfect timing.
2. Engage the right tribe – Never go it alone. Make sure you have the right people around you to encourage you as you step out. Choose your tribe wisely as the people around you will make or break your journey to walk as a leader. I am a product of my network and the amazing people God has brought into my life.
3. Be resilient in your faith – Resolve to stay the course, no matter what. Ask God to empower you with grit that can only come from Him. I often seek Him in weakness because I know that when I can’t, HE can.
Life is filled with many challenges and obstacles, but I’ve learned to see them as “opportunities to excel.” Remember that nothing is ever wasted in the eyes of God when we walk with Him and do things His way (1 Corinthians 15:58). What may seem like our worst stumbling blocks can be the stepping stones to our greatest success.
I encourage you to start small: identify one area of your life that needs change, reform, or new vision. Begin there. Remember that you are uniquely created and fashioned as a woman in leadership, embrace this identity and allow God to accelerate His plan in and through you.
REBECCA CONTRERAS
Rebecca Contreras is a successful entrepreneur and business leader whose company is built upon Godly principles that help both her clients and employees thrive. Rebecca’s remarkable transformation disproves the lie that anything other than God can be our source of hope and provision. To learn more or leverage the free tools, podcasts and content Rebecca has, subscribe to her website. Find her on Instagram and Facebook @rebeccaanncontreras.
