LEADERSHIP,

WHAT IT IS AND ISN'T

(are you sure you want to be one?)

Updated 2/23/2004

Twenty five years of business and ministry, while both leading and following, have taught me much about true leadership. I still have much to learn.

There have been many great leaders in history. Some with righteous causes and some with evil ones. In my opinion, Jesus stands alone as the supreme example of true leadership. If you are not actively pursuing His example and His methods then you are on the wrong leadership track.Historical leaders and present leaders may be learned from and admired, but it is only as they emulate Christ and His principles that we may be follow their example.

The leadership principles of Jesus work in any organization. They certainly may be contrary to the accepted principles of leadership but they work none the less.

Below is a partial collection of the things God has taught me about leadership. Many of these these things I learned, I learned because I was the knucklehead leader in question!

Jim Waldron

  1. Love is the basis of all good relationships, whether peer / peer or leader / follower. As a leader, if you do not have the capacity to love your followers, you are disqualified from leadership. John 15:9
  2. Without love, leadership is reduced to nothing more than power and control. If your followers are not convinced you care for them, they will feel controlled.
  3. There is a vast difference between being a General and being a King. A General rules by force and position. His followers obey because they must. A King rules with kingdom goals and vision. His methods include care for those in his charge. His followers obey him because he would die for them.
  4. No where in the New Testament does leadership, position or office bring about high status. If anything it lowers positional status to being the "servant of all." Those in authority that insist upon being honored according to their position make God angry. How dare us take glory for our position when we got it from God to begin with. God forbid that we as leaders use our God-given authority to mistreat or lord over our followers. Furthermore, if you didn't get your position from God, you're an impostor.
  5. We long for the glory of position but leadership is more about hard work, humility, guts and sacrifice.
  6. Leadership involves becoming less sheep-like and more shepherd-like. Sheep follow the rear end of the sheep in front of them and this is natural. Shepherds have vision. They lead the sheep into the place they should go, a place that is good for them. A shepherd does this even if the sheep resist. Don't detest the sheep because they act like sheep.
  7. Followers imitate a leaders behavior. Don't belittle your followers for not being stronger. It's normal. If you're in a leadership position and you're wishing this wasn't so, you might not be the person for the job.
  8. A leader is able to forgo their own desires and even some of their needs to see their followers walk in destiny and prosperity. Followers resist this because this is the nature of a follower. Their focus is themselves. More than anything else, this is what makes us sheep.
  9. Leaders are called leaders because they lead people. If a leader will not lead, you following him will be an exercise in frustration. However, this is where we as followers learn submission.
  10. There is this tension in leadership; You only become a group's leader when they accept you as such. Even if you were put into "office" by God Himself, if the people do not trust and accept you, you are not their leader. This may look like democracy, but it represents a much deeper human truth. Sheep follow "their" shepherd. Until you become "theirs," you are not their leader, position or no position. (Matt 23:37-38)
  11. You only become a true leader when you begin to give your life for your followers and serve them. (Jn 13:13-15)
  12. Any spiritual movement or spiritual leader must hold "servant leadership" as a tenet. If they do not, you have every right to doubt their authenticity and confront them in a scriptural manner. (Gal 2:14)
  13. Any leader who does not allow respectful disagreement has something to hide. Generally this person is in love with their position. The usual justification for this behavior goes like this; "Since God gave me this authority, people should submit." The next thought is rarely verbalized; "After all, disagreeing with me would be like disagreeing with God Himself." If you have a leader like this, go to them in privately. Have an open heart and be ready to listen. If you do not receive an adequate explanation, respectfully disagree and ask the Lord about removing yourself from their control.
  14. It is not until you disagree and submit anyway that you have truly practiced submission. As long as you agree with the leader it is called cooperation, not submission.
  15. Position cannot produce leadership. Although true leadership usually results in having a position. The shoes don't make the man but the man must fill the shoes. Position can, however, carry a certain anointing with it. (John 11:51)
  16. Most people want to be in control but they don't really want to pay the price of leadership.
    • Leading requires skill and training. He might be too unlearned lead.
    • Leading is the most strenuous job in the world. He might be too lazy to lead.
    • Leading is extremely time consuming, he may be too busy to do it properly.
    • Leading demands that a leader must give himself to his followers. He may be too selfish to lead.
    • Leading and leadership development requires perseverance; he may be too impatient to lead.
    • Godly leadership requires desperation; he may be too self competent to lead.
    • Leading requires flexibility; he might be too stubborn to lead.
    • Leading requires strength; he might be too weak to lead.
    • Superficially the previous two statements seem to contradict, but they don't.
    • Leadership requires courage; he might be too afraid to lead.
    • Leadership requires humility; he may be too proud to lead.
    • Leadership requires passion; he may be too callous or apathetic to lead.
    • Leaders bear the brunt of criticism, he may be too insecure to lead.
  17. A true leader must think more of his organization and his followers than of himself. He must be willing to delay his future for their sake. If your leader won't do this, he may be your supervisor, but he is not your leader.
  18. Many leaders have been hurt in the past and staying aloof has now become a defense mechanism. We as followers have devoured many of our leaders, its no wonder they're afraid. Do your best to give your leaders a break.
  19. For most of us, having a strong leader that micro manages us brings security. Most of us sheep would rather be ruled than be lead anyway. This releases us from responsibility. If our mission fails, we will then be able to blame our leader, after all, he made all the decisions.
  20. As a leader, it takes more effort to lead than rule. Ruling is black and white. Leading requires wisdom.
  21. A Godly leader will be accused of being unfair. What's good for one sheep is not good for another. It is possible to lead in justice and do this. It is difficult, but possible. God does it.
  22. When a leader has more of a team-style of leadership it is a temptation to accuse them of being weak because it forces us into a place of having to take responsibility and develop initiative.
  23. Don't blame your leader for your own shortcomings.
  24. I've never met a leader, even myself, who didn't feel at least a little bit threatened by another person with strong leadership giftings. These thoughts must be assassinated or you will render your own leadership ineffective. If not, your so called spiritual decisions will become nothing more than self-protection.
  25. Many leaders mistake or replace, "protecting the sheep" with "protecting their position."
  26. If, as a leader, your priority becomes maintaining your position rather than doing what is right and what is best for your organization and its members, you not only have become a bad leader, you have become an evil one. With your unseen selfish motives you have started an unseen revolution. You will find God Himself working against you, your end is near!
  27. Arrogantly, many leaders assume no one can do it as good as me. By doing this we poison the sheep with the very same toxins of pride and self-reliance.
  28. True growth in the Kingdom of God comes by giving things away, not retaining them.
  29. Most leaders lead in a "reactive" way. They deal with things only when they know criticism would come if they didn't.
  30. Humility in leadership results in security of position. Pride has the opposite affect.
  31. A proud leader will have to use great personal effort to maintain his position. It takes faith to lead in humility and to trust God for your position.
  32. We've heard it said that to be a good leader you must first become a good follower. I disagree. Apply this reasoning to Jesus and it crumbles. From the Pharisees perspective Jesus was an awful follower. If you must always wait for your "Spiritual Authority" to bless your actions then Jesus was a sinner in the eyes of His leaders. Now the problem is revealed! Control! Don't make the mistake of clinging so tightly to your position that you miss the move of God.
  33. If someone is destined to be a leader they must learn the principles of submission but they will never be satisfied following because it is their destiny to lead. At twelve, Jesus had a tough time not walking in His destiny. (Luke 2:21-52) But He learned to obey. (Hebrews 5:8)
  34. Sometimes the people that are hardest to lead make the best leaders. The questions are, "Do you, as a leader, have what it takes to develop them? Would you rather "dumb them down" into fitting your convenient little mold of leading or will you rise to challenge of developing a future leader that might outpace you?" There is no doubt some people are difficult because they have pride and identity issues. These people need to be contrary because they feel more secure being "on the outside". (Sadly, many "prophets" fit this category) The challenge for you as a leader is to identify and disciple all those with leadership giftings, not just the easy ones.
  35. Sometimes these people of high destiny drive us crazy. They think they're ready to lead long before they really are. We, as leaders, must recognize these people and help them into their destiny. The question is; Are we secure enough in our own leadership and identity to do it?
  36. God's pattern seems to be to put us into leadership just before we're ready. It's the final training, sort of like using real bullets. We as established leaders must develop this discipleship timing also.
  37. Generally, for the young leader, the path to leadership is made when the old guard realizes that the new have become influential and not putting them into leadership would damage the organization. Proud leaders tremble at this thought and seek to alienate the new leaders. Humble leaders embrace it and thank God for raising up new leaders.
  38. God always has a promotion waiting for the humble leader and a demotion waiting for the proud one. The choice is ours which one we will have.
  39. Most leaders love to "think outside the lines," and appreciate others who do, unless of course they think outside "my" lines. There is a word for this concept: hypocrisy. We think like this, God has placed "me" in this position so then "I" have the right to establish the lines. This leader needs to work for Oscar Mayer and make baloney.
  40. A great leader is dynamic in their leadership. They understand an organization must flex with the passage of time and the change of culture. Not doing so creates an organizational dinosaur. (Or a religious dinosaur!) Dynamic leadership does not require moral or scriptural compromise. The Gospel is relevant in any time and culture. A skilled leader will seek out that relevance and structure their organization to meet it.
  41. Refusing to do this, especially because of tradition, results in stagnation of an organization. Taking a moral stand was the excuse the Jewish leaders used on Jesus. Most of the time, not always, but mostly, this type of "stand for truth" has to do with tradition not the scripture.
  42. As leaders, we often structure an organization so that we can remain in power. When someone changes that structure, even for the better, we feel threatened. The result is a weakened organization. In fact, we initiate the dismantling of our own organization. Most leaders who do this are blind to their actions because it is such a natural response.
  43. It's too bad Jesus didn't have a cell phone; he could have lead with it, instead of living with his disciples. Like a good Father, leaders must be present to win.
  44. You cannot sacrifice having quantity of time with your followers. Saying you spend quality time with them and don't need the quantity of time is self-deception. Try to convince your kids this is true.
  45. Most discipleship is done accidentally. You never really know the moment when it's happening. Expand your moments and you will expand your discipleship.
  46. Leadership is all about Fathering. Fathering is done heart-to-heart, not mind-to-mind. We make sons and daughters that look just like us whether we like it or not. They are complete with our weaknesses and strengths.
  47. Look at a leader's spouse and children; you will see what his organization will look like eventually. That scares to mess out of most of us.
  48. A leader sets himself apart (consecrates) for a specific purpose, so that his followers may do the same. If we don't, they never will. (They can't)
  49. Many spiritual leaders set policy based upon they're own personal struggles with sin. They try to enforce upon the whole what they are battling to overcome themselves. They are keen to these behaviors because they are familiar with the battle on a personal front.
  50. Many leaders have secret closets. It is the grace and mercy of God not His judgment, which reveals these things.
  51. As leaders, because of our "authority," it is easy for us to be trapped into thinking we are above personal accountability.
    There are many ways to disguise these actions.
    • By saying a leader's personal accountability to his followers leads to mob rule or democracy. Some leaders are too stubborn or proud listen to those "below" them. Pride keeps a leader from embracing good ideas and corrections from their followers. We're afraid if we take advise or allow correction from our followers we will show ourselves to be weak leaders. Exactly the opposite is true.
    • Some spiritual leaders avoid accountability by hiding behind the "Word of the Lord." This works two ways; First, they doubt God's willingness to speak through their followers and second, if God said it to me, who can argue with it?
    • By using "Papal" theology. Spiritual authority is a gift from God, however, arrogance is crouching around the corner, ready to invade it's practice. Thinking you're above correction because of your position is an evil deception. We love to use Moses as the great example of leadership, and we should, but let's not forget he was the most humble man that ever lived. If you think you're walking in his anointing, then you had better be walking in his humility too, otherwise, God has the gift of a demotion waiting specifically designed for you. Even this is an act of His mercy.
    • By staying "too busy" to develop accountable relationships.
    • Some are afraid of their followers becoming "over-familiar" with them and thereby eroding their authority. While there is tendency for humans to lose respect based upon familiarity, the leader has no Biblical basis for remaining aloof. This is the price of leadership.
    • By staying aloof from our followers. We learned this in kindergarten; it's called "Dodge ball".
    • By putting on a happy face or hiding behind the right spiritual words. Don't mistake this for faith or positive confession, its called lying.
  52. As spiritual leaders we must never forget that our followers have as much access to God as we do. Not listening to them is a manifestation of our own insecurity, stupidity or pride.
  53. As leaders must never, I repeat never, allow our followers to honor us beyond what is right. We must never receive honor or adulation beyond that which is proper. This one of the greatest temptations for leaders. If you receive this honor, the worms will eat your eyes out. The trap is in beginning to think much higher about yourself than you should. The second trap here is that you can become enslaved to their praise. It works like this; The people praise me and now I feel obligated to them because of their praise. If I don't do what they want, they stop praising me. If I'm insecure or proud, I continue the cycle. If I don't need their praise to support my own value, I choose to lead in truth and justice. Then my praise comes from the Lord Himself.
  54. If a leader is not adding stability to his organization, no one else can. The one who is adding stability will prove to be the actual leader and will soon replace you.
  55. If a leader causes instability within his organization, he is either a revolutionary or an idiot. Either way he will soon destroy or change the organization. These changes may be positive or negative.
  56. Revolutionaries stir up strife. It is the mechanism of securing or maintaining power for themselves or their cause. Even Jesus did this. Don't get mad at me, read Matthew 10:34-36.
  57. If the organization needs remodeling those that hate change will think the leader is trying to destroy it.
  58. Within a relevant organization leaders promote peace, security and stability; it is the health of an organization.
  59. Without personal stability, a leader can never add organizational stability.
  60. Leadership depends as much upon character as knowledge and anointing. Perhaps more.
  61. Leading out of anointing, gifting or ability alone, rather than character, will result in short-lived leadership and fragmented, disillusioned followers. If there is no depth of character the anointing won't be around long anyway.
  62. Fragmentation results in stagnation of an organization. Unity is required to become a viable offensive force.
  63. As a leader, you are on center stage, but you must act as though you are not.
    Everyone will be watching your responses and actions. You must not simply have good behavior but you must let your Godly character ooze out of you naturally. If you're a poopy-head, there are not enough words to convince your followers you're not. If you're a faking your Godly character they will find out soon enough.
  64. Much has been said about vision and leadership. All leaders must have vision to some degree. Vision is the ability to see into the future and proactively lead your organization into a place that it does not yet know exists. If a leader does not know where he is going, he cannot take anyone forward. Having a leader without vision is like arranging the chairs on the Titanic. A visionless leader will have the honest opinion that the ship sank because he did not arrange the chairs properly. These people are administrators, not visionary leaders. While we all need to self-inspect, actually allowing ourselves to be examined by the Lord is better, a administrator will believe the failure(or success) of an organization is because of some deficiency (or ability) within themselves. ( I say this with respect to administrators, they are valuable, gifted and necessary, but they are not visionaries.) I am of the opinion that you either have visionary gifting or you don't. The only way to learn it, if it can be learned, is by mentoring.
  65. There are however, different stages of development in an organization's life that require different kinds of leaders. Visionary leaders work well in the context of transition and change. They are pioneers and founders. Administrative leaning leaders do well after a period of growth and change. They are terrible change agents. They are settlers and homesteaders. The wrong leadership at the wrong time results in lost efficiency and effectiveness within an organization. There will always be a tension between these two types of leadership. Identifying these differences helps relieve this tension.
  66. A leader must do one of a few things to process the organization. The first and most drastic is to resign or step down and let a more appropriate leader lead. Second, he could change his style if he has the capacity to do so. A full understanding of these styles and both style giftings are required. Third, is to empower other leaders to lead while maintaining the helm. This actually, is the most difficult. It requires the overall knowledge of the needs of an organization while recognizing personal limitations and giftings. Only a seasoned and secure leader should attempt this.
  67. You must lead, not push. You must bring others into God's destiny as a natural flow of following your example, allowing the Spirit of God to convince them along the way. You may be sitting at the steering wheel but don't start thinking you're the engine!
  68. Temptation is common to man. As a leader you are the bull's-eye. Don't be lulled to sleep by those who tell you you're wonderful.
  69. Do those around you a favor; let God build some character in you before you go off halfcocked believing your ready to lead. Because when you fall, and you will, you will not fall alone.
 
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Copyright © 2004 Jim Waldron, IMSS, Inc All rights reserved.