When it comes to leadership today, you can always find a book, a magazine article or a web site that talks about how to do it right (I just googled "leadership" and got 180 million hits! In addition, Amazon.com lists over 287,000 titles dealing with some topic of leadership!). So my question is this: If we have all this material about how to be a solid leader so readily available, then why do we have so few solid leaders?For what they are worth - here are my thoughts on this situation. I do not believe the leadership vacuum is due to a lack of information (i.e. - people in leadership do not know how to lead). Now there may be some leaders who simply don't know how to lead (shame on them given the amount of info on how to lead that is all around us!). No, the cause of this leadership vacuum is not a lack of information but a lack of character. I don't care how well trained someone is to lead IF he or she is not a man or woman of character. Leaders must have integrity. Must be trustworthy. Must be sold out to others and to the mission of the team, agency, organization that they have been tasked to lead. This is why the very first qualification that the Apostle Paul mentions in his list of the qualifications for elders (the Bible's name for church leaders) is that of being "above reproach." Being above reproach is to be living such a life that when someone tries to launch a "character assassination" that those who know the individual says, "No way! Impossible! Can't be the John Smith that I know!" That is being above reproach. And sadly, both inside and outside the Church today - there are too few leaders that live and lead in a way that is above reproach.
So my prayer for all of us who are leading (which when you think of it includes the vast majority of us) is that we will continue to grow in our integrity, being men and women whose "walk" matches our "talk." Not perfectly - but consistently!
Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj
2 comments:
Friday, September 12, 2008
Where are all the Solid Leaders?
Although your point is a very valid point. There needs to be more character in todays leadership. I think also this is an unprecedented time where the enemy of God is going all out against the Seed of the Woman. Spiritual Leaders especially are being targeted. We have seen mightily anointed Servants of God leave the ministry this year from all different streams in the Kingdom of God from moral failures, broken marriages, fatigue, depression, drug dependencies, ethical mistakes in ministry and I'm sure a multitude of other reasons that I haven't mentioned. This epidemic I believe is more than just a lack of integrity. I believe it is an all out attack from the enemy of our souls to disqualify leadership and leave the sheep unprotected and scattered for easy prey to wolves.
Last week at my ministry council monthly meeting, I asked our church prayer coordinator to take on the task of amassing a prayer support list of 100 people in our congregation to pray for me 10 minutes per day. I felt directed by Holy Spirit to ask for this. 1000 minutes per day. I will have my congregation praying almost 17 hours a day for spiritual strength and protection on my life, family and ministry. I know that this will bring powerful results. Paul said:
1Ti 2:1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
1Ti 2:2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. ;
1Ti 2:3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour
Let's keep more of our Solid Leaders by doing battle for them in Prayer!
I certainly agree, Terry, that there is a spiritual battle raging around us ... and that the Enemy does indeed target leaders. Having said that, I believe far too many leaders leave themselves vulnerable to and unprotected against the onslaught of the Enemy because of a lack of integrity. Ephesians 6 makes it clear that we must put on the full armor of God so we can stand against spiritual attack. This involves not just believing and embracing the Word of God ... but living it out in our daily lives.
Thanks for your insights! And yes -- pray for those in leadership!
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