Rooted in Following: Redefining Leadership for the Woman Who Leads

Blog by: Erin Harrigan, Founder, Erin Harrigan LLC. Biblical Business Coach, Author and Speaker

Friend, let me ask you something. When was the last time you paused long enough to remember that you weren't made to carry it all?

As women in leadership, we are exceptional at keeping things in order, getting things done, and showing up for everyone around us. But somewhere along the way, many of us have bought into a lie — that leadership means doing it all on our own. That is not what we were made for.

You are a daughter of the Most High King. A citizen of heaven. And that changes everything about how we lead.

To be rooted in following Jesus means we don't follow the world's counsel — we follow his instruction. We are branches. Our nourishment, our equipping, our qualifying — it all flows from the Vine. As John 15:4-5 reminds us, without him, we can do nothing. And Psalm 127:1-2 makes it plain: those who build without the Lord labor in vain.

So, how do we practically let Jesus lead us? I use a framework I call the Four Keys — Define, Direct, Discipline, and Develop.

Define — You are not defined by your roles, your accomplishments, or your assignment. You are defined solely by the One who created you and nourishes you. Everything else flows from coming into agreement with, and being rooted in, that truth.

Direct — When we try to control the direction, we labor in vain. When we follow our own map, we’re sure to wander off of His path. He directs us to use the gifts he's place in us, but only when we surrender the wheel. He is our Great Positioning Shepherd (GPS)!

Discipline — This isn't about overachieving or maintaining control. It's about embracing the discipline of being his disciple — rooted, abiding, finding nourishment in him alone.

Develop — The Holy Spirit is always pruning, molding, and shaping us. That development isn't just for us — it equips us to raise the next generation of leaders behind us.

Here's what I want you to carry with you: every room you walk into, the Holy Spirit walks in with you. You bring calm to chaos, peace to hard processes, and value in the valleys — not in your own strength, but in his. God made you a leader, but not to lead as the world does.

You are never alone in this. You are rooted in following, and you are his!