 C.S. Lewis famously said, “True humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less.” Nowhere is this truth more demonstrated than in the realm of leadership.
The Apostle Paul wrote: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:5-8) If anyone was entitled to lord authority, power and privilege over people, it was Jesus Christ. He was the Creator, the highest authority, the Eternal Son of God Whom heaven and earth will worship for all eternity. But Jesus did not come demanding that we serve Him, He can to serve us. He did not come with a scepter of authority, expecting us to lay down our lives to aggrandize His life. On the contrary He laid down His life in order to offer us life, and life more abundantly. This was the example of leadership Jesus imparted to His followers. In Mark 10:37, James and John said to Jesus, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” They had it all wrong. They thought leadership was about getting authority and being in control. For them, leadership was about privilege and prestige. It was a means to gain power and control over the ones they were leading. This is how most people think of leadership. To them, being a great leader is having a great reputation that enjoys prestige, privilege and respect. But Jesus had a different idea about great leadership. He said, “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant…And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all” (Mark 10:43-44). To Jesus, leadership was servanthood and the greatest leaders were those who acted like servants. What does it mean to be a servant? It means to give yourself in the service of others. A servant is concerned more with meeting the needs of those he serves, than he is with his own needs. James and John, however, were caught up in a worldly attitude regarding leadership. They thought being a leader was about advancing and promoting themselves. To them, it centered on being admired, gaining authority and exercising control over others. Even worse, to the worldly thinker, leadership is a means of holding others down and using them to fulfill your own personal ambitions. But in Christ, leadership is the exact opposite. To learn more click here A study entitled “Wrongdoing by Officers and Directors of Charities,” researched incidents involving criminal and civil wrongdoing by officers and directors of charitable organizations between 1995 and 2002. Of the 152 incidents found through newspaper reports, 104 involved criminal activity and 54 involved breaches of fiduciary duties (6 involved both).
Of the 104 charged with crimes, 11 trustees (directors), 88 presidents (CEOs), and 10 treasurers were prosecuted and convicted. Of this grouping, 74 went to jail and 46 were imposed with restitution penalties of over $30 million collectively. Of the 54 incidents involving breaches of fiduciary duty, 27 trustees, 44 presidents, and 2 treasurers were either removed, forced to resign, punitively fined or forced to pay restitution of over $106 million collectively. The term “Fiduciarity” refers to a broad notion of financial and corporate stewardship. It implies an “obligation to serve the financial interests (and corporate health) of those who have entrusted certain individuals with their well-being.” It comes from the word “Fiduciary,” which comes from the Latin “fiducia,” meaning "trust." A fiduciary is a person who has been entrusted with the power and authority to act for another under circumstances which require total trust, good faith, and honesty. It is from this concept that we derive the term “trustee.” The trustee, or one who has been entrusted, is responsible to ensure the trustworthiness of the organization. His authority is given, not to serve his own interests, or the interests of certain privileged individuals, his role is to preserve the integrity of the organization and guard the interests of those who are relying on him. Richard R. Hammer, in his volume, "Pastor, Church, and Law;" lists eight theories of liability for board members and corporate officers. These reflect the most common incidents of litigation resulting from trustees’ dereliction of duty. To learn more click here |
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It was concerning King Saul that David said, “How the mighty have fallen, and the weapons of war perished.” His was a life that began with great promise and celebration, but ended in miserable failure and humiliation. His life is an example of how the mightiest of leaders fail.
Why do great men and women fall? How do leaders, quick to ascend with such promise of unparalleled success, find themselves awash in disastrous failure and disgrace? More importantly, can the path toward one’s downfall be discerned before it’s too late and be avoided? It is the premise of my newest book, How The Mighty Have Fallen that such a decline can be detected and reversed. The life and leadership career of King Saul, Israel's first king, provides us with a treasury of examples of "what not to do." The below blog post is the first in series of excerpts from the book to examine and avoid Saul's mistakes and find a successful path through leadership. READ AN EXCERPT |
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