WHY LEADERSHIP OFTEN FAILS

INTRODUCTION

“An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep. The lion that would rather lead sheep is no lion at all but only a sheep with delusions of grandeur.” (author unknown)

Charles DeGaulle describing his new French parliamentary system in 1958 said, “The Assemblies debate, the Ministers govern, the Constitutional Council thinks, the President of the Republic decides.”

DeGaulle also said, “There can be no prestige without mystery, for we have little reverence for that which we know, too well.”

“Nothing is so fatiguing as greatness – to the nongreat.” (author unknown)

I. THE MAJOR SOURCES OF TENSIONS

1. Self-underestimation

Randall B. Hamrock said, “I’m a practicing psychologist. In twenty years I’ve talked with, tested, and given vocational counsel to at least 10,000 young men and women. One characteristic that almost all had was the tendency to sell themselves short.”

The Bible answer: Romans 12:3

2. Distrust of personal judgment

The people who bear up under stress are those who know when to say, “To……with it,” says Dr. Ari Kiev, clinical psychiatrist at Cornell University Medical School. Trying to escape from reality or refusing to face reality are the causes of severe emotional and mental stress in executives. Although a certain amount of stress in business is unavoidable, the executive who copes best is the one who does his own thing the best way he can and refuses to be upset about the rest.”

This is merely a psychologist’s view. Although it is surely true, how much better to take the view of the Bible in Phil. 3:15!

3. Lack of trust of our people

The Bible answer for this is Romans 15:14

4. Guilt for exercising authority

Carl Heyel says, “He is ‘damned if he does and damned if he doesn’t;’ no matter whether he runs his organization with a tight grip or a loose one, he is almost sure to make somebody angry at him.

“And even when we are actually beyond the reach of the people over whom we have power, we are still vulnerable to the most devasting retaliation of all–that of our own conscience.

“Shakespeare, who was about as good a psychologist as he was a playwright, has noted that `conscience does make cowards of us all’.”

The Bible answer is Titus 2:15

II. LEADERSHIP TENSION REMEDIES

1. Admit them!
2. Don’t expect to bat a thousand!
3. Compromise!
4. Don’t take yourself too seriously!
5. Learn to laugh often!

III. LEADERSHIP TRAITS

1. Enthusiasm
2. Positiveness
3. Trustworthiness
4. Confidence
5. Decisiveness

IV. ANTI-LEADERSHIP TRAITS

1. Defensiveness
2. Affectation
3. Narrowness
4. Fear
5. Traditionalism

POINTS AND QUOTES ON LEADERSHIP TENSIONS

“The leader is best when people barely know he exists. Then the people say ‘We did this ourselves’.”

– Law Tse
Books of Tao, 600 B.C.

“Leadership is the art of getting somebody else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.”

– Dwight D. Eisenhower

“The principle characteristics of leadership are easy to identify. A leader can be recognized because he is goal-directed and self- motivated; exercises and inspires initiative; possesses genuine self-
confidence; has the ability to concentrate; uses creativity and imagination; and knows how to motivate others to action.”

– Source Unknown

(The above material was prepared by Church Growth.)

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