Everything Rises And Falls On Leadership
The older I get, the more tension I feel.
For example, take the quote: "Everything rises and falls on Leadership." In one sense this is true. Remove Winston Churchill, Teddy Roosevelt, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther, or Martin Luther King, Jr. and the pages of history would read significantly different. Their leadership matters. YOUR leadership matters! On the other hand, we understand that God is sovereign. He raises up one and puts down another (Daniel 4:17, 25, 32). Leaders live in the tension of divine sovereignty and human responsibility. They trust God and they understand the significance of their leadership. Today's quips and quotes capture both the tension and importance of your leadership.
Think about it:
- “One person can live on a desert island without leadership. Two people, if they’re totally compatible, could probably get along and even progress. If there are three or more, someone has to take the lead. Otherwise chaos erupts.” Warren Bennis
- “To aspire to leadership is an honorable ambition.” 1 Timothy 3:1 (NEB)
- "If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously." Romans 12:8 (NLT)
- "The only definition of a leader is someone who has followers." Peter Drucker
- "Leadership is influence -- nothing more and nothing less." John Maxwell, Developing The Leader Within You
- The leader is one who mobilizes others toward a goal shared by leader and followers." Gary Willis, Certain Trumpets
- "To an extent, leadership is a lot like beauty: it's hard to define, but you know it when you see it." Warren Bennis, On Becoming A Leader
- "Is there anything the church knows about leadership that nobody else knows? The leader is a servant." Frederick G.Gais
- "The Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men." Daniel 4:17
- Leadership begins when you believe you can make a difference. Kouzes/Posner, The Truth About Leadership
Read more about it:
J. Oswald Sanders' Spiritual Leadership was originally a series of lectures delivered to leaders of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship. There are more than 750,000 copies of this book in print. Chuck Colson says it's the best book he's read on Christian leadership. I would encourage you to check it out.
White papers are used to inform and educate. Take your learning to another level with this white paper: Theological Foundations Of Leadership Theology encompasses every subject, including leadership. As Nancy Pearcey contends, “We must begin by being utterly convinced that there is a biblical perspective on everything—not just spiritual matters” (Pearcey 2004, 44). This paper is concerned with identifying the theological foundations that undergird leadership. It is not a light read, but if you want to examine leadership at a deeper level, take a look. Click here for the PDF download. It will most probably arrive in your downloads folder in your computer.