THE CHARACTER OF LEADERSHIPFROM THE INTRODUCTION OF THE CHARACTER OF LEADERSHIP
"Leadership will destroy the man or woman whose character is not prepared for it.” - Pastor Gregg Johnson
Without a strong foundation, a building will fall. It doesn’t matter how beautiful its appearance or spectacular its design, if the structure doesn’t stand upon a secure base, it will collapse under the pressure of its own height. The Tower of Pisa, located just outside of Rome, Italy, is an internationally renowned example of this truth. First constructed in 1,117 AD it began leaning when it was only 35 ft high. Today it stands 179 feet tall and continues to threaten collapse. The reason? A faulty foundation. It was built upon insecure, unequally settled ground that is unable to support its own towering weight. By contrast, consider the Sears Tower in Chicago Illinois. Having 110 stories, it rises a quarter mile into the air: 1,454 feet high. It is constructed of 76,000 tons of steel and enough concrete to build an 8-lane highway, 5 miles long. This mammoth structure is 8 times the size of the leaning Tower of Pisa and stands secure; it refuses to lean even an inch. The reason? It has a firm foundation. Beneath the Sears Tower are 114 solid rock caissons that sink deep into the underlying bedrock; just one of those footings is sunk as deep as the Statue of Liberty is high. It is this foundation that holds the superstructure firmly in place. No wind, no storm, no tremor has ever succeeded in toppling it or the 1,600 people who work safely within its walls. A leader’s character is like the foundation of a building. If it is not strong, deep, and firmly fixed in place, the man’s life and all he has built will eventually fall. It does not matter how anointed he is, how attractive his ministry or powerful his gifts, without character, all threatens to collapse. It has been said, “Charisma can take a man to the top, but only character will keep him there.” It is character that keeps a man honest, ethical, and pure. It is character that binds us to our godly responsibilities. It is character that holds us up when the heavy temptations of leadership threaten to pull us down. Leadership will destroy the man or woman whose character has not been prepared for it. With higher levels come higher devils. Advancement, enlargement, and promotion in the Kingdom of God brings fiercer temptations, harsher attacks, and greater opportunities for destruction. This means before God takes us higher (by elevating our position or increasing our anointing), He must deepen our foundation. Too many have been promoted before their character was enlarged to support that promotion. As a result, they became top heavy like the Tower of Pisa and eventually fell. Columnist Cindy Adams wrote, “Success has made failures of many men.” It is sad but true. Too many “successful” leaders have collapsed under the weight of their promotion. Intermittent ethical compromises that once seemed like insignificant cracks in the foundation of a small building, became gaping breaches of immorality in the place of enlargement. Impure motives, like a sleeping giant, were awakened by the egotistic opportunities afforded in success. The spirituality that first initiated their increase was eroded by secret sins, and sadly, the heights to which they ascended came crashing down. Their foundation, their character, was unable to support the pressures of their heightened success. Only when we allow God to deepen our character will we be able to support greater levels of spiritual promotion and higher heights of tangible anointing. What is “Character?” The word comes from an ancient Greek verb meaning “to engrave” and its related noun meaning “mark” or “distinctive quality.” Essentially, character is what we are. It is that inner core of our soul that determines our actions, reactions, and inactions. Plutarch, the Roman biographer said, “Character is simply habit long continued.” Baron Thomas wrote, “The measure of a man’s character is what he would do if he knew he never would be found out.” Rushworth Kidder stated, “The test of character…lies in how you behave when public approval and overt reward are stripped away. When you can get away with anything, because nothing’s at stake except your own conscience, what do you do?” Character is a firm sense of right and wrong—a value system arising from a conviction of ethical absolutes. But even more, it is the commitment to do what is right and ethical regardless of personal cost, risk, or discomfort. The following is a study in Character. More specifically, the six essentials that every person must have who aspires to leadership. As the Sears Tower has numerous concrete footings supporting its colossal height, these will serve as the pillars supporting our character—and the heights to which God wants to bring our lives. The Leader’s Prayer Recite this prayer before reading this book! "Heavenly Father, I thank you for the call upon my life and the enlargement I have experienced thus far. However, I acknowledge that there are dangers flowing in my heart that threaten my life, my ministry and all You have given me. "Until these impurities have been purged, do not allow me to be promoted beyond what my character can support. Enlarge my character first, so it can uphold the anointing you want me to have. Do not allow me to be promoted if my character has not been prepared to bare the pressures and temptations that come with that promotion.” |
Newest Release
ENDORSEMENTS
“The Character of Leadership,20th anniversary edition is a hands on resource tool for leaders seeking to deepen their foundation in leadership and navigate through this difficult era where moral values is no longer a premium.” H.E. John D Mahama - Former President of The Republic of Ghana “This is a must read for leaders who place a high priority on character.” Doug Clay - General Superintendent, U.S.A. Assemblies of God “This book will help every reader focus on what makes an effective leader and a Christ-like example for others to follow.” Dr. Duane Durst - Network Superintendent, New York Ministry Network Assemblies of God “It has helped to produce healthy, quality leaders in this region. It's a best seller.” Dr. Stephen Wengam - General Superintendent, Ghana Assemblies of God “In short, you can't lead well without The Character of Leadership.” Lipenga Banda - General Superintendent, Zambia Assemblies of God “This is great study material for pastors and church leadership teams.” Charles Mulema Kinusu - General Overseer, Gospel Centers International, Kenya “I highly recommend all leaders to read this work.” Philip Kitoto - General Superintendent, Kenya Assemblies of God “The Character of Leadership should be required reading for every minister.” Moises Rodriguez Matos - Asst. Superintendent, Cuba Assemblies of God “This is a must read for all serious leaders and all emerging leaders.” John Kabuye - Deputy General Overseer, Fellowship of Born Again Churches of Uganda |