Stepping Up to the Plate

The story of Queen Esther is a great example of stepping up to the plate. Esther, a young Jewish girl, found herself the queen of Persia. There was nothing about Esther's upbringing that would suggest that she would one day be queen of Persia. She was young. She was an orphan. She was a Jew. None of that mattered because God had a plan for Esther to lead.
Being the queen was a huge honor, but not one that typically required a lot of leadership. So when Esther was called on to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people, it would have been easy for her to shrink from the task. Instead, Esther sought wise counsel. The queen was a leader, but she did not allow the title of queen to puff her up and hinder her ability to lead. The queen of Persia exemplified leadership by allowing herself to be led.
Esther submitted herself to her uncle Mordecai, who at the time held no royal position. She submitted herself to her husband the king, who had the power to order her death for merely walking into his presence. More importantly, Esther submitted herself to God by fasting and praying before acting.
Being an effective leader requires submission. No one leads effectively without first understanding the value of following. No one leads effectively without understanding that risks are sometimes necessary to complete the mission. No one leads effectively without acknowledging God.

***For the entire story of Queen Esther, read the book of Esther. It's really good.***