All around the world, there are women who are capable of great things, but they are afraid to step out and try. This is the central argument of Halee Gray Scott’s debut book, Dare Mighty Things: Mapping the Challenges of Leadership for Christian Women (Zondervan). Author, wife, mother, scholar, and global leadership expert, Scott focuses her research on the experiences of women in leadership and the obstacles they face. In addition to sharing her findings, Scott’s book casts a larger vision for women in the church and calls women to the faithful stewardship of their gifts. Her.meneutics contributor Sharon Hodde Miller spoke with Scott about the difficulties facing women in leadership.
Women don’t always think of themselves as leaders. Why are they hesitant?
Two things contribute to this problem. First, the business world has dominated the conversation on leadership. We see many churches adapting business principles to the church context. Whenever we take secular leadership and apply it to the church, we have an idea of leadership that is very masculine, very business-oriented, very “get things done.” Women tend, instead, to organize around people and causes. It’s hard for women, especially Christian women, to relate to the type of leadership models we most often talk about.
Second, many people don’t look at women and think to intentionally develop their leadership gifts. But women need that encouragement. Women need someone to look at them and say, “Hey, I see potential in you.”
Source: Christianity Today | Interview by Sharon Hodde Miller
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