TC Robinson <<>> Leading Upwords

This past weekend (Feb. 19-21), while at a leadership conference in Santa Clarita, California, I was reminded once again of the importance for leaders to lead from a life of intimacy with God.

The world needs people who are deep in their spiritual lives.  True intimacy with God occurs through intentional effort over a long period of time as your relationship grows deeper. (International Leadership Institute: Regional Conference, p. 4, emphasis added)

Before his choosing of the twelve, in whom he would pour his life and teaching over a period of three years, Jesus spent a night praying to the Father (Luke 6:12).  Jesus sought intimacy with the Father.

To be used of God effectively in leading others, the leader must seek intimacy with the heavenly Father.  There is no other way. 

Even a leader must be led.  Every great leader knows this.

In many ways, Psalm 23 serves as a leader's prayer for guidance from above:

¹ The LORD is my shepherd;
    there is nothing I lack.

    ² He lets me lie down in green pastures;
    He leads me beside quiet waters.

    ³ He renews my life;
    He leads me along the right paths
    for His name's sake.

    ⁴ Even when I go through the darkest valley,
    I fear no danger,
    for You are with me;
    Your rod and Your staff—they comfort me.

    ⁵ You prepare a table before me
    in the presence of my enemies;
    You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.

    ⁶ Only goodness and faithful love will pursue me
    all the days of my life,
    and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
    as long as I live.  (HCSB)

Yes, every leader needs the Shepherd.

It's time to get back to what makes for a great leader: Character! Character! Character!

Of course a leader needs competence, courage, clarity, and so on.

But without character, a leader is not worth following.

So this new year, resolved to renew your commitment to developing your character as a leader.

As Jesus was winding down his earthly ministry and dropping hints of it, here and there, his followers for three-and-half-years, began to pick up on it.

But instead of displaying a great understanding of what the master teacher was saying for three-and-half-years, they showed both immaturity and wordly thinking: they were fighting for positions in the kingdom, which they thought Jesus was about to restore to Israel.

Jesus had to issue a gentle rebuke:

41 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had asked, they were indignant.42 So Jesus called them together and said, "You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them.43 But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant,44 and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else.45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:41-45, New Living Translation, emphasis added)

Jesus defines leadership as service to others.  It's the ability to put others before yourself, in an effort to bring about the greatest good. For Jesus, this meant going to the Cross for sinners.

Jesus, the leader of leaders, teaches us that if we're not ready to humbly and lovingly serve others, then we're not ready to be leaders.

In a word, Leadership is Service.
 

• 16. The Law of the Big Mo: Momentum Is a Leader's Best Friend.
• 17. The Law of Priorities: Leaders Understand That Activity Is Not Necessarily Accomplishment.
• 18. The Law of Sacrifice: A Leader Must Give Up to Go Up.

The Leadership expert says, "Follow these laws and people will follow you."

• 13. The Law of the Picture: People Do What People See.
• 14. The Law of Buy-in: People Buy into the Leader, Then the Vision.
• 15. The Law of Victory: Leaders Find a Way for the Team to Win.

"Follow them and people with follow you."  It's that simple!

Buried inside each human soul are the treasures of talents, gifts, skills, feelings, desires, and potential, that our Creator God has lavishly deposited, for his glory. 

But life's tragedy is this: many die without excavating their souls.  They make our cemeteries more and more wealthy.  They robbed the world and the rest of humanity of precious wealth.

Think about books, music, movies, presidents, doctors, innovators, lecturers, teachers, pastors, business consultants, coaches, and so on, that have died with those individuals that never took the time to develop and deliver their wealth.

So I challenge you today, to begin that journey of your soul's excavation.

Let me recommend John Maxwell's Developing the Leader Within You as a valuable tool for this excavation.

• 10. The Law of Connection: Leaders Touch a Heart Before They Ask for a Hand.
• 11. The Law of The Inner Circle: A Leader's Potential Is Determined by Those Closest to Him.
• 12. The Law of Empowerment: Only Secure Leaders Give Power to Others.

"Follow them and people will follow you."

Bill Hybels is senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church in South Barrington, Illinois.  He's also somewhat of a leadership expert:

Please understand, it's not that I believe gifts of leadership is more important than other gifts.  It's simply that people with the gift of leadership are uniquely equipped to come up with strategies and structures that provide opportunities for other people to use their gifts most effectively.  Leaders see the big picture and understand how to help others find their place of service within that picture. (Courageous Leadership)

The 21st century is in desperate need of godly leaders.

In his celebrated Courageous Leadership, Bill Hybels describes vision as "the leader's most potent weapon."  He is absolutely right. 

Vision is what separates a good manager from becoming a leader.  Without vision you're like a good manager that is simply maintaining the status quo.  But when a good manager becomes a visionary, he's no longer a good manager---he's a leader.

Simply put, vision is a mental picture of a desired end.  It is what could be and should be. It immediately makes a comparision with the future.  It demands action.

If you have a vision that does not compel your passion, resources, talents, skills, giftedness, then your vision needs a revision.

Do you have a compelling vision for your life, your family and your ministry?