Empowered Leaders
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Empowered Leaders

Hans Finzel

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eBook - ePub

Empowered Leaders

Hans Finzel

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About This Book

Is leadership really about the rewards, excitement, and exhilaration? Or the responsibilities, frustrations, and exhausting nights? Hans Finzel takes readers on a journey into the lives of the Bible's great leaders, such as Moses, Abraham, Jesus, unearthing powerful principles for effective leadership in any situation. This powerful guide to developing the skills needed to become a successful leader poses some penetrating questions that force us to take an honest look at ourselves and our intentions in being a leader.

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Information

Publisher
Thomas Nelson
Year
2002
ISBN
9781418558062
1
THE LEADER

Who Can Fill the Shoes?
“This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the
words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’” (Acts 7:35)
OF ALL THE THINGS I ENJOY in my typical day, one of my favorites takes place when I arrive home in the evening. Not that I don’t love my job; it’s just that my children can make me feel greatly loved. The harder the day I have had at the office, the more I enjoy their “ambush.”
Our twins, Andrew and Cambria, are still young enough to be home when I get home, to notice when I get home, and to jump with glee at the sight of my coming through the kitchen door. We have this great ritual: I come in from the garage, drop my briefcase, and my twins take turns taking a running start across the room and zooming up into my arms. They grab me around the neck and squeeze me so tight that all the stress of the day just fades away.
After the hugfest has ended, I take off my shoes, grab the mail, and settle down with a cup of coffee. Soon I hear the kids clomping across the kitchen floor; they have managed to put their feet into my shoes. They want to be like daddy. My youngest son even tells me, “Daddy, when I grow up I am going to be the director of CBI!”
I wonder how much they really know about the cost of leadership. Why would anyone want to grow up and become a leader? It may look like fun on the outside, but little do they know the challenges. Being in charge seems like the ideal place to be—but is it?
WHAT IT TAKES
What does it take to make it in today’s leadership world? Though much has changed, a great deal about leadership is the same today as it has been throughout the centuries. Leaders need a compass now more than ever, and God has given us a most reliable one in His Word. The timeless truths we find in the Scriptures apply to today’s complex world. There are valuable lessons leaping out at us from every one of the heroes and villains of old. Two such men are Saul and David.
Let’s rewind our clocks of history a few thousand years to the early days of God’s established nation of Israel. Having rejected God as King, the infant nation Israel made a poor leadership decision. Insisting on having a human king like the nations around them, they chose Saul. Appointing Saul as king over Israel brought serious consequences to this young nation. We could say it was in a leadership crisis. Saul presumed he could lead Israel according to his own inclinations, in clear disobedience to God. But he was sadly mistaken!
On one occasion Saul’s disobedience involved taking the situation into his own hands, without waiting on God’s prophet, Samuel. The fear of imminent attack by his enemy displayed Saul’s lack of trust in God. God rebuked him through Samuel: “‘You acted foolishly,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command’ ” (1 Sam. 13:13-14).
It was now time to pick the right man to do the job effectively—a successor to Saul. Of course God does not make mistakes, and in fact He had planned to appoint Saul as Israel’s first leader. Among other things it showed the people of God what they would get for leadership when they stepped out ahead of Him. Here is a lesson for those involved today on search committees for new leadership: Don’t get ahead of God’s leading as you seek His wisdom in making the right decision. What you think you need and what He knows you need may differ completely.
I have seen many groups react in panic to the loss of their leader and hastily choose a successor who is not the right fit.
Take the time necessary to wait on God, do your homework,
and select the right person carefully.
In the pressure cooker of organizational life this is one decision that must not be hurried. If you are the one applying for a position, don’t be hasty in your decision; seek God’s clear direction.
What was so special about David that God should choose him? He stood up to lions, bears, and Goliath not because his decision-making board of directors tapped him on the shoulder for leadership; rather, he was given strength to lead because God saw that he had a heart for God.
Being tapped on the shoulder for leading Israel was the last thing on David’s mind. The first thing on his mind was his sheep. His pure simple faith in God enabled him to care for those sheep faithfully. That’s about all we know about this young teenager, along with the fact that he played the harp, loved to sing, and was dutiful to his father. Yet, when Samuel asked Jesse to bring out his sons so that one of them could be selected to succeed Saul, it became apparent that God’s decision-making process differs from man’s. Samuel thought he knew God’s pick, but he was wrong. The Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The LORD doesn’t make decisions the way you do! People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at a person’s thoughts and intentions” (1 Sam. 16:7, NLT).
There is a certain irony in the fact that none of the older sons of Jesse measured up. To Samuel they seemed excellent candidates for God’s leader. As soon as he saw Eliab, Jesse’s oldest, Samuel thought, “Surely the Lord’s anointed stands here before the LORD” (16:6). But God rejected all those admirable men. He was on the lookout for that certain special quality of heart essential for effective leadership. Jesse’s other sons might have provided fair leadership, but David was God’s choice.
Seeking to obey God in anointing a new king, Samuel was puzzled. “Are these all the sons you have?” (16:11) he asked. Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest, but he’s out in the fields watching our sheep.” God saw what man could not see. He knew David had what it takes to be a leader.
This story of David being chosen as king of Israel underscores principles related to aspiring for leadership, leadership selection criteria, and how God puts His hand on certain people for special leadership.
We’ll explore David’s story further, when we focus in chapters 2 and 3 on the task and the character of a leader.
DEFINING A “LEADER”
What does a leader look like? Stated another way, what does a person have to be and do to be considered an effective leader?
I shy away from mentioning present-day leaders whom I admire. No sooner do we put their names in print than they may crash and burn. The only safe examples are great leaders of the past. In that category I would place men and women like Martin Luther, Amy Carmichael, Adoniram Judson, Jim Elliott, Henrietta Mears, Charles Hadden Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, and Mother Teresa. Great secular leaders include Abraham Lincoln, Winston Churchill, Indira Gandhi, and Martin Luther King, Jr. (a leader in both secular and sacred arenas).
We can’t help but think about other leaders who have affected us as we contemplate our own role in leadership. In my twenty years of ministry, I look back and think about those men and women I have most admired for their roles of leadership. What was it about them that inspired me? What is it about them that continues to challenge me to rise above my own limitations and attempt to be more and do more for the cause of Christ? I suggest seven qualities, which follow the acrostic of the word Leaders.
SEVEN LEADERSHIP QUALITIES
L —Long-term record of effectiveness. Leadership is not like squash that grows up rapidly and bears fruit within six months. Leadership is like the giant oak that takes years to develop and can withstand the greatest storm because of that slow building process. I have given up admiring people who have a short-term successful track record because it’s the long haul that counts.
E —Egos surrendered to Christ. Unfortunately our Christian celebrity culture develops great personalities who can become overinfatuated with their own importance. Instead, I admire those people who are truly great but don’t know it. Fortunately there are many of those around. Even if they realize how significant their influence is, their humble, gentle spirit is appreciated.
A —Approachable. This builds on the last point and has to do with the accessibility of a leader. I appreciate those men and women who are in leading roles and yet can be approached and treat everyone as important. This can sometimes place great pressure on leaders who have constant people demands; but I certainly try to make it my own practice to give attention and respect to anyone who approaches me.
D —Devotion to spouse and family. Many Christian leaders have become workaholics and at times sacrifice their marriages and children for the sake of “God’s work.” But God is not pleased with that approach; it is certainly not His design for leadership. If God has given a leader a spouse and children, then that leader is responsible to nurture those relationships with faithfulness. Respected leaders are those who have good marriages and have done their best to raise children who will follow with their own faith in the Lord.
E —Excellence in work. This means doing the best with what you have. Christians should aim for excellence in all they do. We appreciate those leaders who are obsessed with making their organizations excellent in every way. “Doing things right” is a culture that develops in organizations based on the pace the leader sets.
R —Reflection of Christlikeness in character. In the secular world some leaders have accomplished incredible feats—the Lee Iacoccas and Bill Gateses of the world. But in the body of Christ, my respect lies with those leaders who not only can do great things and have the ability to communicate effectively, but who also reflect the fruit of the Holy Spirit outlined in Galatians 5:22-23. Christ is our greatest example of effective leadership, and His character is the standard for our own leadership characteristics.
S —Sharing with others. Some leaders cut themselves off from others and are interested only in building their own empires. They have an exclusive attitude that works solely on building up their self-focused interests and their own organizations. The preferred kind of leader is the one who shares freely with other organizations, realizing that all believers are members of the body of Christ. This mentality reflects a simple maxim: It’s amazing what we can get accomplished if we don’t care who gets the credit.
Among the many leadership heroes in history, the top models are the characters of the Bible who were used by God because they fulfilled these seven qualities. In the following chapters I discuss five leaders in the Scriptures who embody the principles outlined in each of the coming chapters. The five characters are these:

Moses, who became a great hero in extremely difficult circumstances and showed the potential of a reluctant leader.
David, who shows what God looks for as He selects leaders to do His work.
Joseph, who demonstrates the fruit of long-term faithfulness and maintaining a positive attitude based on faith in God.
Esther, who exemplifies creativity and encouragement in a national crisis.
Paul, who embodies the principles of durability in crises, who knew how to mentor a team, and who wrote about the rewards of sacrificial leadership.

One thing we see even in this list of biblical leaders is that not one of them was perfect. None of them maintained a Christlike attitude throughout every moment of their career. They all had bitter disappointments and none ever reached perfection. Why do we expect our leaders to be perfect? Why do we have such unrealistic expectations? If you are a leader, I know you appreciate it when those who follow you give you extra helpings of grace at every turn. We should be marked as a community of grace that expects great things from our leaders but gives generous grace when they fail. And conversely we who lead need to treat our followers with an equal helping of grace, allowing them room to fail and to develop as effective partners with us.
Some aspects of leadership selection have to do with calling and motive, with fit and fulfillment. Some leaders are reluctant to become leaders, others have doubts about their leadership abilities, and others have a heartfelt desire to be leaders for God.
ARE WE ALL RELUCTANT LEADERS?
I have observed a common trait of “reluctant leadership” during my twenty-year pilgrimage in leadership. I see it in myself and in just about every leader I talk to. From the early days of my experience—from laboring side by side with coworkers, to being in various levels of leadership, to finally landing in the corner office at headquarters as the person in charge—I have sensed a hesitation to move on to greater responsibility. Children may think being a leader solves all the problems of life, but adulthood brings the rude awakening that it’s not that simple. With the privileges of leadership come many confinements.
Growing in leadership responsibilities is a two-sided coin. On one side there is a reluctance to take the next assignment. But on the other is a willingness and even excitement, tempered with a certain sense of nervousness, fear, and dread. The excitement of leadership is certainly there when you think about all the great things you hope to be able to accomplish. But the downside is just as real. I remembering crying out to God, “Are You sure You know what You’re doing? Are You sure You have the right guy?” After all, the fewer your responsibilities in an organization, the less demanding is your schedule. The people at the helm are the ones who face serious decisions and are consumed with overwhelming issues. Recently a leader told me, “Before I finally accepted my new job, I turned it down three times, not because I did not know what I was getting into but because I did know!” Yes, God does place and use reluctant leaders.
When you’re among the rank and file, you have to deal only with the problems and issues in your own corporate corner. Such a position certainly gives you a lot more discretionary time for your spouse, children, and hobbies! A person may feel he’s a nobody in his tiny cubicle in the great corporate world in which he works, but maybe he should count his blessings. The buck stops nowhere near his desk!
Moses is one of the first great examples of this principle that God uses reluctant leaders. How did he feel when God made him go back from the desert to E...

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