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There are two types of motivations that drive leaders. There are leaders who are driven by selfish ambition, and then there are leaders who are motivated by a love for others. The former are much like James and John; they are concerned primarily about personal elevation and act out of self-interest. The latter, like Christ, are more interested in serving, edifying and accomplishing good for the benefit of others. This truth is not some ethereal idealism; it is based upon practical examples demonstrated in the life of the ultimate servant-leader, Jesus Christ.
First, the servant-leader has an awareness of his accountability to God. Jesus said, “The Son of Man can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.” (John 5:19) In other words, the servant-leader realizes he must pattern his leadership after God. He knows that God has set the standard for right and wrong and he will ultimately answer to God for his conduct, especially as a leader. Secondly, the servant-leader recognizes the worth and value of every soul. This was what motivated Jesus. In Luke 15:4-6, He told the parable of a man who had a hundred sheep. After realizing that one lamb was lost, the man left the ninety-nine and searched after the missing lamb until he found it. Just as the one lost lamb held significance to the shepherd, so does every individual life have incredible value to God. Nowhere was this demonstrated more than on the cross. Romans 5:8 tells us, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” The cross is the revelation of the love of God for the human soul. For every person, God has a plan. For every life, God has a purpose. Jeremiah 29:11 reveals this: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Thirdly, the servant-leader is focused on the long term good he can achieve for others. The self-centered leader cares only about immediate, self-aggrandizing gratification. In fact, great servant-leaders exhaust their lives building a vision that will outlast themselves. Consider the difference between Jesus and the Pharisees, the religious leaders of His day. Taking our example from Jesus Christ, a servant-leader primarily focuses on the growth and well-being of people and the communities to which they belong. While carnal, self-centered leadership pursues the accumulation power, servant leadership is different. The servant-leader shares power, puts the needs of others first, and helps people develop and perform as highly as possible. To learn more click here  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  Reportability is the quality of being reportable. It is a willingness to provide sufficient information that brings others into an accurate understanding of the matters at hand.
Trust in an organization cannot be established without reportability. It helps prevent the abuse of authority while exposing those leaders who do abuse. This flows from biblical principles. John 3:19-21 reminds us, “…this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen..." Sadly, the natural condition of fallen man is to conceal his activities so he can act selfishly. But those who desire to rise above their corrupt human nature will “come to the light.” That is, they will welcome systems of reportability that shine the light on their activity which encourage their own honesty and promote a culture of integrity. Unfortunately, many leaders today are threatened by reportability and the transparency it creates. Insecure leaders take offense and say, “Don’t you trust me?” But they fail to understand several important principles of reportability. First, leaders who “report,” demonstrate their own credibility. The more one resists transparency, the more others become convinced that this leader must be examined and closely scrutinized. By contrast, the more a leader is willing to report, the more others become convinced of his integrity and trust him to do the right thing without having to report it. Second, reportability is not meant to protect the money from the leader, it is meant to protect the leader from the money. In other words, reportability provides a defense against accusations of impropriety. Third, as leaders create a culture of transparency through their reportability, the more likely people will be to invest in their organization. Those who encourage transparency will be regarded as healthy and credible. People will trust that organization and become willing to participate in it and invest in it personally. Fourth, some leaders feel they are too small to develop structures of reportability. They say, “I only receive a few dollars each week, or small amount of schillings, why should I bother with such elaborate systems of accountability?” Jesus said if you are faithful in little, you will become ruler over much. (Matt. 25:23) In other words, if you can’t be faithful with the few dollars you have, why should you be trusted with many dollars? To learn more click here When something is “transparent” you can see into it clearly and examine it closely. Nothing is hidden or concealed. In organizational terms, transparency is allowing the open examination of practices and policies to prevent abuse. It is when budgets and financial statements can be reviewed and decisions are open to discussion, or even criticism. Such a culture of openness prevents the opportunity for authorities to abuse the system for their own interests or set damaging policies.
There is no more fundamental expression of an organization’s integrity than transparency. When leaders allow open access to financial records and scrutiny of internal processes, it demonstrates their commitment to uprightness. Transparency reveals their willingness to be held accountable and keep their authority in check, ensuring they use their position to serve the organization, not themselves. Without transparency and the accountability it provides, authority tends to twist leaders into self-serving dictators abusing power for their own gain. It’s a fact of history. Transparency is the first causality of a dictatorship. Wherever a dictator existed—or exists, transparency must be eliminated so the leader can operate without checks and balances on his authority. Transparency is a function of accountability. It implies that the organization together with its leader and his team are subject to inspection. Even more, it demonstrates that the system in place allows the leader’s practices, policies, and decisions to be open to scrutiny, criticism, and even disagreement. Essentially, it means that an organization—and its leaders—are healthy, ethical and trustworthy. By contrast, the lack of transparency is a sign of unhealth and manipulation. When leaders avoid transparency, it’s usually because they are trying to get away with something that would be considered immoral or unethical by most people. The absence of transparency means leaders are hiding the fact that they are misusing their authority for personal benefit and not for the public’s good or the good of the organization they are called to lead. Plainly stated, the lack of transparency is an indication of corruption. It is a sure sign that those in authority are keeping things in the dark because exposure would result in criticism or even expulsion. So how can an organization maintain its credibility as an ethical and trustworthy entity? How can leaders maintain their own integrity and avoid the very appearance of scandal. The next chapter provides practical guidelines for leaders who are serious about this issue. To learn more click here There is often a lot of excitement around the topic of accountability. In fact, it is quite in vogue. Having an accountability partner is very stylish. In fact, if you’re a leader and don’t make yourself accountable to some group of confidants, you’re not very fashionable. Unfortunately, these notions of accountability, although helpful to some, do not rise to the level of maintaining the trust of leadership.
Leadership without accountability is leadership without credibility.
Almost everywhere we turn, in any profession, the trust of leadership is on the decline. Research shows that only 49% of employees trust senior management and only 28% believe CEOs are a credible source of information. Nursing was the most trusted profession as rated by 82% of people as highly trustworthy whereas Congressmen were at the bottom of the list; only 8% of Americans believed their leaders in Washington are trustworthy. The Gallup survey also found that Americans’ rating of the honesty and ethics of the clergy has fallen below 50 percent for the first time since 1977. This speaks to the most alarming place where corruption is seen today: church and religious institutions. This is especially predominant in Charismatic and Pentecostal circles that are often driven by flamboyant, charismatic personalities. When such individuals achieve a certain level of fame marked by large crowds and big offerings, their “spiritual authority” turns into celebrity fame and they use their influence, not to serve the faithful but to enrich themselves. Ephesians 4:11 teaches that the offices of apostle, prophet, evangelist and teacher are positions of spiritual authority. Leaders in these positions, who use that authority to manipulate followers for the purpose of enriching themselves have violated their trust and are corrupt. It could be a pastor in New York, an evangelist in the United Kingdom or a prophet in East Africa, any leader who enriches himself from the suffering or sacrifice of those he is supposed to be serving is a wolf in sheep’s clothing. He’s not there to empower, he’s there to devour, and that is corrupt. Too often, we’ve seen these preachers take advantage of crowds of people ranging from poor and illiterate to powerful and successful by promising God’s blessings of wealth in return for generous offerings. Many of these spiritual leaders have little or no formal religious training, except for what they see on “Church TV,” and are known to resort to tricks, gimmicks and outright deception to demonstrate their “special anointing” and touch from God. Sadly, because of this many church leaders are at a disadvantage. They are assumed to lack integrity and seek for personal gain. What is a leader to do? The answer, although not always easy or comfortable, is quite simple. Any leader who wants credibility needs to have accountability. To learn more click here Authority is God’s idea. He created it as an equitable means of maintaining order and stability throughout His creation. It is the right to govern, to lead, to initiate action, and command others.
The ancient Romans had a tradition. When an engineer constructed an arch; as the capstone was hoisted over the structure and lowered into place, the engineer would stand under the arch demonstrating his complete confidence in his design. It was a profound expression of accountability. Rather than expecting others to become victims of his failure, he personally and publicly bore the consequence of whether or not he had fulfilled his duty. Even more important, and because of the accountability it provides, this tradition enabled trust. Having witnessed the architect being held accountable for his design, pedestrians would have complete trust in the arch and freely pass under, or over it without concern. In a sense, the duty of leadership is like building an arch. Every decision, action, and policy a leader implements must serve the interests of the people and the organization he is called to lead. Like building an arch, the leader is developing infrastructure to cover and protect or providing passageways to improve the society he leads. When the leader is accountable for his actions, when the integrity of his decisions are open to examination and he is made to answer for his policies; his credibility is demonstrated and people will trust both him and what he builds. Saying that “leadership is a trust” is to say that a leader’s authority exists to serve the public’s interests, not the personal interests of the leader. People submit themselves to leaders, they support leaders because they trust that the leaders will have their best interests, and the interests of the organization at heart—not the leaders’ own interests. This means that a leader’s actions and decisions or exercise of authority should never be intended to give that leader some personal benefits or to advance their own interests. When that trust of leadership is violated, we call it corruption. To learn more click here Too often Christians refuse to pray for their president and government authorities because they abhor politics and label them ungodly. But let's be reminded of Paul's words regarding our duty toward political leaders:
 Henry Ford said, “Successful people get ahead while others waste time.” Effective time management is a skill set with as much importance as technical proficiency or professional expertise. The manager or leader who can make effective use of time will quickly become a person of efficiency and excellence. It should be understood, however, that “Time Management” is a misnomer. No one can manage or control time. It’s more about managing yourself in relation to the limited time you have. We all have 168 hours in a week. How you position yourself with respect to your focus and priorities determines if your time is efficiently used.
The following are several general and specific issues for those of us trying to manage our time more effectively. Use a calendar Utilizing a calendar is the most fundamental step to managing your daily activities. If possible, use an app or a program that syncs one calendar to all your devices. It is especially helpful to use reminders and notifications to keep you informed of important meetings or deadlines. Know your deadlines Proactively identify when you need to finish important tasks. Mark the deadlines out clearly in your calendar and set some reminders so you know when these items need to be completed. Use Promotion Schedules A promotion schedule is a master calendar for special projects and events. It lays out a timeline of specific tasks required for completion. Items such as recruiting deadlines, team meetings, graphic design requirements, marketing and promotion dates and other crucial tasks can be laid out in a spreadsheet with corresponding dates, deadlines and assigned personnel. Have an Organized Work space If you have a messy work space, you will feel disorganized and sluggish. You won’t even feel like doing anything since it’s so disorganized. On the other hand, if you have a tidy and organized workspace, you’ll be inspired to get work done. Your frustration and aggravation will be reduced because you will find your things easily rather than waste precious minutes digging through piles of papers for something you saw just the other day. Create a Weekly Plan The most crucial part of your week is the first 30 minutes of the first day of the week. In that time it is helpful to review the week ahead and identify main priorities. Be sure to block out time during certain days for important tasks and determine the best time for meetings, planning exercises, professional study and other essential functions. Personally, I allocate Tuesdays for staff meetings, coaching sessions and certain counseling exercises. Wednesdays are for important phone or video conferences and meetings that happen out of the office and/or professional study. Thursdays are set for mentoring, evaluations, random meetings and administrative tasks. Fridays are for professional study, which for me is sermon preparation and happens at my home office where interruptions are eliminated. It is important to communicate your preferred weekly plan to any administrative assistants who can schedule appointments accordingly. Create a Daily Plan Once you have a weekly plan, it is important to stick to it. Of course there will be exceptions and incidental deviations, but try to follow the plan as much as possible. This means that you must plan each day before it unfolds. It is best to do this in the morning or even better, the night before you go to bed. Identify all the essential tasks and priorities of the day so you can enter your work space with specific work plans in mind. Know Your top 3 Priorities Every Day When planning your daily tasks, it is important to be reasonable. Don’t be overly ambitious and set a schedule so hectic that failure is likely. Identify three achievable goals for that day. This may include meetings to be had, people to call, problems to confront or tasks to complete. If you complete these three items early, then you can start on the next day’s items which will put you ahead going forward. Prioritize: Put First Things First Put the tasks you consider to be most important before anything else. Be mindful that there are a million different things we can pick to do. Some will be important things that make a difference while others will be unimportant things that actually don’t make any difference at all. Out of the millions of things, we must pick and choose, otherwise we’ll forever be drowning in work and never get anything done. Focus on the important and prioritize the latter. Focus on One Thing at a Time No matter how much you like to pride yourself on being a multi-tasker, human beings are actually not effective in doing more than one thing at a time. We may be able to work on multiple items, but chances are the work product will be low quality and full of mistakes. It’s better to focus on doing one thing with excellence at a time. Be Firm, But Be Flexible For pastors, we must be careful not to view people and their needs as interruptions to our ministry. The people are the ministry. For those who are not pastors, it is important to recognize the value in making time for people who have significant challenges and need our attention. Sometimes, allowing for such “interruptions” become meaningful investments in people’s lives and will engender a loyalty that cannot be obtained by mere financial compensation. When people know you care about them and their needs, generally, they will care about you and your needs as well. Having said that, it is crucial to discern if someone is in sincere need of your attention or is simply a distraction. This is what often differentiates the good leaders from the great leaders. Great leaders recognize those crucial opportunities to invest in people whereas good leaders see such relational moments as low value distractions. Eliminate Time Wasters There are things that will steal your time if you let them: Facebook, texts, email, phone calls, twitter feeds and other social networks. Block out these distractions unless you use these tools to generate business. Even then, it requires discipline to not get sucked into the need to update your status with pictures of your fresh, tasty doughnut and cute selfie. Delay Answering The Phone Just because the phone is buzzing doesn’t mean you have to answer it now. Of course there are certain people in our “up-line” that should always have access to us like supervisors or company owners, but there are many people ringing our phone who can wait. Managing time effectively means you do not become a slave to the phone. Set up your voicemail to indicate you’ll call back by a certain time of the day or schedule a time in the late morning or afternoon to return calls. That way, you’re in control of who you talk to and when. This also allows you to review their voicemail message and prepare yourself with the proper information before you call them back. Sometimes A Voice Is Better Than an Email Sometimes it’s better to use email because you want to memorialize directions or make sure things are properly communicated. However, many times it's better to pick up the phone or walk down the hall and talk directly to colleagues. You can give precise direction and clear up misunderstandings quickly. This also helps to avoid future wasted time because of miscommunication or offense. Cut Off Conversations When You Need To Learn how to end meetings and cut off conversations that are taking too much time. If not inappropriate or disrespectful, don’t be afraid to interrupt the person speaking with a comment such as, “I have to get going,” or “I’m going to let you go” or “I don’t want to take up any more of your time” and then insert a closing remark. Sometimes you have to preempt what you know will be a long meeting or belabored phone call by informing them, “I have a hard stop in 15 minutes or 2:30 and will have to go.” Guard your time. Don’t allow people to be in control of your coming and going, unless they sign your paycheck. Learn To Say “No” Remember, every time we say yes to one thing, we are saying no to something else. If the person requesting your help isn’t a boss or supervisor, you must show discretion before agreeing to commit. Learn how to decline respectfully and without feeling guilty. Some easy responses include: “That won’t work for me right now, but I’ll get back to you if anything changes,” or “I really appreciate you thinking of me, but I’ve just got too much on my plate right now.” Don’t feel like you have to give specific detail about why your declining and don’t feel like you owe that person an explanation. Simply state that you are unable, look the person in the eye and embrace the awkward silence. Remember, you have to guard your time and resist being everyone’s problem solver. Learn To Delegate To Others As you are organizing your weekly or daily plan, ask yourself the question, ”Is there someone else who can do this task?” Too often, we feel important or significant because we think we are uniquely qualified to complete the task. But there’s always someone else who can do it, and sometimes better. If you are a manager, resist those guilty feelings that come with assigning tasks to others. Remember, it’s the leader who delegates that makes himself effective. Let go and let others. Be Mindful of Manipulation There are actual persuasion techniques that people often use when making an “ask.” Common ones include “Reciprocity.” People often give you something before making an “ask” because they know about the psychological tendency to want to reciprocate. Then there is “Making Two Asks.” When people ask for something and you say no, they increase the odds that when they ask for something else (usually something smaller), you’ll say yes. “Well, if you can’t help out tomorrow, could you at least proof read this white page?” “Anchoring” is another ploy. They’ll say something like, “Most people donate $100,” or “Most other parents volunteer 5 hours,” and so on. Watch out for manipulative people who will try to steal your time to make themselves more effective. Remember, guard your time and stay focused on your essential tasks. |
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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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