ArticleBlog | Single Living: Leading well as a single person
Single Living: Leading well as a single person
Author: Andy PeckPost Date: 06.06.19
I wonder whether, as you saw the title of this piece, you thought ‘Why is leading well as a single person any different from leading well as any other sort of person?’ It would certainly have been a valid question. And, perhaps because I’m a good Anglican, my response would be ‘Well, it is and it isn’t…’ Let me explain.
In many ways, of course, leading is just leading, whoever is doing it, and whoever they’re doing it with. Leading anyone and anything is tricky, because people are human and messy and complicated. Leading requires a complex mix of different gifts and skills, and often it seems that chief among them are herding cats, spinning plates and nailing jelly to walls. Or maybe that’s just in my church.
But in some ways I think there are things which are unique to leading as a single person. I’m 40, and I’ve been an ordained priest in the Church of England for almost 14 years. I also happen to have been single for my whole life. I’ll start by outlining some of the things which I think can be problematic for single leaders, and then go on to suggest some ways in which single people can seek to lead well. Some of these things may also relate to those who are married, but I’ve included them because I think they have a particular relevance for single people. (I should add a caveat to say that of course all single people are different. Some have always been single; some are ‘single again’ following divorce or bereavement. Some have children; some don’t. Some live alone; some share their home with others. So please forgive any assumptions or generalisations which may occur).
