A Challenging New Look at Leadership
By Vince D’Acchioli
All of the great leaders have had one characteristic in common; it was the willingness to confront unequivocally the major anxiety of their people in their time. This, and not much else, is the essence of leadership.
--- John Kenneth Galbraith
Leadership has been talked and written about probably more than any other subject. Depending on your age, position in life, and personal experiences, your view of leadership can vary greatly. These variations can often contribute to dysfunctional notions about leadership, particularly within the Body of Christ.
In 1989, I left the business world as a successful senior executive for a fortune 1000 company. During my last 10 years, numerous opportunities to teach leadership principles at all levels of management, including CEO’s, became an important part of my portfolio. Being involved in full-time ministry since then has presented an opportunity to compare leadership principles from both camps. The lack of depth I found in the Christian community came as a great surprise. Some of the ideas being communicated were very shallow when compared to the more sophisticated ones found in the business world.
After 12 years in ministry, I have made some interesting observations and conclusions. Let’s take a fresh look at this idea of leadership.
Examining some of the recent business scandals and failures shows that something is desperately wrong in the business community. It is fair to say that we struggle with similar problems in Christian churches and organizations.
These observations and conclusions have led to four cornerstones of leadership; vision, character, discipline, and love. The first three are easy enough to grasp and most of us have read and heard some good teaching in those areas. The fourth one, love, may be something you have never considered. My desire is to convince you that it is the most important of the four, and that without it you will never become the leader God intended.
Consider how you rate in each area. Develop an action plan to help you improve. Let’s dig in:
VISION [Return to top]
The greatest leader of all time was Jesus Christ. While many agree with this statement, few take the time to discover why it is true. Think about how Jesus led. He was not in front pulling – nor was He behind pushing. Jesus led by simply being with the people. It was because of who He was that people followed Him. That is the way it needs to be with you and me. It all begins with vision.
It has been said, “If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there.” That is what so many of us are doing – wandering around on any road. Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision the people will perish.” The New International Version is more contemporary and reads, “Where there is no revelation the people cast off restraint”. In other words, anything goes.
The central point of Jesus’ life was vision. He came to do His Father’s business, and He knew exactly what that was. He also knew how to communicate His vision to others and give them a sense of destiny and purpose.
Many businesses and ministries that fail usually do so because they lost their way. Do you know the vision of your organization or church? Do the people who work for or with you understand your vision? Can they state it without having to look it up on your brochure or in your manual?
It is not only important to know where you are going, but you must also be able to determine how you are doing along the way. A vision, as opposed to a mission, is typically a statement of the end result of an activity. How do you measure your success?
Schedule a meeting with some of your staff or volunteers and challenge yourself in this area. Come up with a list of ideas on how you might improve your vision.
CHARACTER [Return to top]
The best index to a person’s character is (a) how he treats people who can’t do him any good, and (b) how he treats people who can’t fight back. – Abigail Van Buren
Sometimes your gifts can take you places where your character can’t sustain you. We can get by with some unique abilities at times, but when it’s all on the line and the true stuff we are made of comes forth, we blow it. Jesus never had this problem. What He was externally reflected who He was internally. Unfortunately, this is not the case with many of us.
How would you rate your character? Are you consistent or do you find yourself behaving differently in pressure situations? Is your word your bond? For many years I struggled with this. I would behave publicly in ways that would make me look great. But because I had not developed inner character, my true colors would eventually come out. Nothing destroys a leader’s credibility more than when this happens.
We need to aspire for godly character. The only way you can develop this kind of character is through an intimate relationship with Him. How close is your walk with our Lord? What are you doing on a daily basis to stay intimate with Him?
Find some trusted Christian friends, counselors, or perhaps your pastor and ask them to rate you in this area. Encourage them to be honest, and be prepared for the responses. They may reveal some blind spots. Determine to do what it takes to develop godly character.
DISCIPLINE [Return to top]
Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiastes 12:13)
Solomon spends the entire book of Ecclesiastes whining. After all of his complaining and talking about how futile life is, he concludes the book with the powerful verse above. He proclaims that everything in life distills into two things: (1) Fear God and (2) obey His commands. In this context fear means to be in awe of - or to revere God. In other words, we must be intimate with Him and love Him deeply, then obey His commands.
In the Bible obedience is a major issue. Jesus had no problem here. Most of us, however, especially men, struggle with obedience. As leaders, we must make sure that we have our own lives in order first, and that we are saying “no” to the things that are not good for us. Otherwise it is difficult to ask obedience of those you may be leading.
Do you set up reasonable standards for your people, and are they consistently enforced? People need clear boundaries and discipline in their lives. It gives us a sense of security.
Years ago a study was conducted in a schoolyard. The children played in a large fenced-in area, and they used up the entire space. One day some workers came in and removed the fence. The next time the kids went into the yard they huddled in a small area all together. Once the fence was put back, the kids again expanded to use the entire space.
This classic study that reveals the sense of security produced by boundaries. Do you have reasonable boundaries in your own life and for those with whom you work?
Ask yourself some tough questions about discipline. How are you doing in this area personally? Do you have and are you enforcing reasonable boundaries or disciplines in your workplace?
LOVE [Return to top]
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Let’s conclude by talking about the frequently overlooked, but most important cornerstone of leadership – love. Think about this. If you agree that Jesus is our model for leadership then what was His single most outstanding characteristic? If you said love, you are right on.
In having been invited to literally hundreds of churches in North America, representing virtually every theological persuasion, I have noticed something that I believe is quite significant. All of the examples I can point to as healthy, growing, and vibrant churches have the same thing in common. There is a deep and sustained love for people. It begins with the senior pastor, and it permeates the whole culture of the organization. It is inescapable. Now allow me to suggest something pretty bold…a leader who does not have this kind of love for his or her people will be a leader in name and technique only.
Scripture gives us a great tip on loving the ones whom we lead. If you study the above verses in Matthew 22 you will note that the two greatest commandments are listed in a particular, and perhaps intentional, order. You will never be able to do the latter (love your neighbor as yourself) unless you first do the former (love the Lord your God).
Determine your level of love for those you serve. If it is weak then ask God to help you see people through His eyes. If necessary, go to God in prayer with this every day. It is the most important quality a leader needs.
The most famous verses in the Bible dealing with love are found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. On a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (exceptional) rate yourself in each of the sixteen areas. Develop an improvement plan for any areas of weakness this exercise reveals.
Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. (1 Corinthians 13:4-8)
Reprinted with permission.
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