Reflection on Leadership

Leadership Paradox
- The siren call of stardom (pp 37-50)

1 Philip Yancy
“We prefer a tall, handsome, and above all, slender Jesus."
2 Obedience and humility are God’s twin guardians against the plague of vain ambition resident within the heart of the leader who wants to be a star.
3 Unholy trinity of Amercia’s definition of success; size, speed and public exposure.
4 In our anxious desire to validate the fruit of our ministry, we give in to these definitions.
5 Lewis Lapham, essayist and editor of Harper’s Magazine, wrote in the 60’s:
“The previous distinct genres of journalism, literature, and theatre gradually fused into something known as media. The amalgam of forms resulted in a national theatre of celebrity….it the media succeed with their spectacles and grand simplifications, it is because their audiences define happiness as the state of being well and artfully deceived.
6 The line of separation between truth and fantasy vanishes into something called “testimony” or “vision”.
7 People want to have larger than life heros and these exaggerated claims are rationalised on the grounds that the end justifies the means.
8 Doorway of opportunity can quickly become trap doors for the leader driven to promote his ministry.
9 The enticement of success and popularity can easily deluded a leader into believing the fallacy that opportunity and guidance are synonymous.
10 Walter Wangerin, Jr
“From the beginning of His ministry, Jesus charged those who experienced His power to say nothing about it”
11 Adolph Hitler
“The great masses of the people …will more easily fall victims to a big lie than a small one.”
12 Jesus was almost oblivious to ministry momentum….by his refusal to captialise on the situation and opportunities created.
Jn 8:29 –“…..i always do what pleases Him”. Jesus lived by putting His Father’s will above His own. He dwelt in that serene place where ego, prestige, and position had no dominion.
13 We must seek to order everything in accordance with His will, even if it means forfeiting wonderful opportunities to further enhance our leadership standing. We must have the courage and conviction to say no to a coveted opening even when knowing that by doing so another leader may take our place in reaping the rewards.
14 Why we reject servant leadership?
Nature of servant leadership goes deeply against the grain of human ego.
- we offer mere lip services to the possibility of pride while denying its insidious work in our hearts.
Concentration on an American-style ethos fuels us with a tainted incentive to look good at all cost.
- making promises and announce big plans that will never come about but we look and sound successful. When challenged on such issues, we wax eloquent on the nature and calling of visionary leadership while our followers clamour for more vision talk.
- in America, appearance count more than reality.
Obsession with packaging
- we want a formula or technique that we could market as the next big revelation to solve XXXX or growth, etc.
- we have accepted man-centered, self-glorified, ego-inflating packaging as a normal part of Christendom.
15 Frederick Buechner
“One of the blunders religious people are particularly fond of making is the attempt to be more spiritual than God.”
16 Trap on Destiny and Call
“One’s destiny can become one’s test…the individual driven to act out and prove that he or she is a special chosen vessel can easily forfeit the anointing to lead. The initial calling may well have been from God, but unchecked ego will pervert the call. Vain ambition disguises itself with assertions of uniqueness. Destiny bound with ego easily degenerates into empire building, and empire builders have the unfortunate tendency to become false prophets.”
“The leader wishing to emulate Jesus resists the great temptation to build a ministry around himself. He chooses to abandon himself to the will and pleasure of God….communion takes precedence over causes, obedience over opportunity.”
16 Brennan Manning
“The imposter does not want to come out of hiding. He will grab for the cosmetic kit and put on his pretty face to make himself “presentable”.”
17 The deceitful hearts; things to watch
- status with privileges
- name dropping reveals insecurity
- defensiveness
- self promotion
- using ends to justify means

This book is a Good Read. Many important lessons for us to comtemplate ...and we need to lest we are reflecting leadership of the world more than leadership of Jesus.

If you are a leader...which kind you would rather be?