Why do leaders read so many books?
Is it because they have no clue what they are doing?
Blackaby gives this quote, "Leadership is one of the most observed and least understood phenomena on earth." - James MacGregor Burns
I fearlessly assert that every leader has their own definition of leadership. Not every one's is good, but everyone has one.
One of my favorite leadership books, Spiritual Leadership, by Oswald Sanders, defines leadership as "influence," and we could all certainly agree that if you have no influence you are not a leader. However, Blackaby wants a more precise definition. His definition is "Spiritual Leadership is moving people on to God's agenda." Blackaby defines it further.
1. The spiritual leader's task is to move people from where they are to where God wants them to be.
2. Spiritual leaders depend on the Holy Spirit.
3. Spiritual leaders are accountable to God.
4. Spiritual leaders can influence all people, not just God's people.
5. Spiritual leaders work from God's agenda.
Other important thoughts.
- Leaders are also good followers - Are you following God's instructions or your own agendas?
"If Christians around the world were to suddenly renounce their personal agendas, their life goals and their aspirations, and begin responding in radical obedience to everything God showed them, the world would be turned upside down. How do we know? Because that's what first century Christians did, and the world is still talking about it."
Questions for discussion.
1. What specific part of God's agenda do we need to move people in the northwest on to?
2. What personal agendas do we need to avoid moving people on to?
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2 comments:
Well hello Paul, I hear there's a one-sided conversation going on here. I haven't read the book but want to and have a comment about what agendas we need to get people of the Northwest into...
God tells us that we will suffer on this earth. We can expect to suffer if we want to live a godly life for Jesus (2 Tim. 3:12). However as humans I think we spend so much of our time seeking out ways to make ourselves feel comfortable: only talking with people who we are familiar with, staying in a job we know we're not called to just because it's easier, etc. I doubt that feeling comfortable was on the top of Jesus' list...What was on the top of his list? To do the work His Father sent Him to do (to stick to His Father's agenda). And as funny , crazy, and ridiculous as it sounds Jesus came to suffer (literally die an incredibly uncomfortable death) so that we might not have to suffer forever... This ties right into the first chapter about leaders being criticized and being not liked.
Indeed.
Suffering is something we generally try to avoid, and who can blame us? However, leadership leads us into suffering since we face opposition, when we try to move people onto a different agenda.
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