A Leader Is Not the Cause
A true leader is committed to the cause, and does not become the cause. Staying personally dedicated to the cause can become extremely difficult, particularly if the cause succeeds. A subtle change in thinking can overtake the leader of a successful ministry. He or she begins “needing” certain things to carry on the ministry—things that were not needed earlier. I admire Mother Teresa, who decided after winning the Nobel Prize that she would not go to accept any more recognition because it interfered with her work. She knew she was not in the business of accepting prizes; she was in the business of serving the poor of Calcutta. She maintained her dedication to the cause by refusing unrelated honors.
Bosses and Leaders
A boss creates fear; a leader creates confidence. Bossism creates resentment; leadership breeds enthusiasm. A boss says “I”; a leader says “We.” A boss fixes blame; a leader fixes mistakes. A boss knows how; a leader shows how. Bossism makes work drudgery; leadership makes work interesting. A boss relies on authority; a leader relies on cooperation. A boss drives; a leader leads.
Asserting Leadership
The lion was proud of his mastery of the animal kingdom. One day he decided to make sure all the other animals knew he was the king of the jungle. He was so confident that he bypassed the smaller animals and went straight to the bear. “Who is the king of the jungle?” the lion asked. The bear replied, “Why, you are, of course.” The lion gave a mighty roar of approval.
Next, he asked the tiger, “Who is the king of the jungle?” The tiger quickly responded, “Everyone knows that you are, O mighty lion.”
Next on the list was the elephant. The lion faced the elephant and addressed his question: “Who is the king of the jungle?” The elephant immediately grabbed the lion with his trunk, whirled him around in the air five or six times, and slammed him into a tree. Then he pounded him onto the ground several times, dunked him under water in a nearby lake, and finally threw him up on the shore.
The lion—beaten, bruised, and battered—struggled to his feet. He looked at the elephant through sad and bloody eyes and said, “Look, just because you don’t know the answer is no reason for you to get mean about it!”
The Heady Taste of Power
A first grader was told to come directly home from school, but he arrived late almost every day. The difference in time amounted to as much as twenty minutes. His mother asked him, “You get out of school the same time every day. Why can’t you get home at the same time?” He said, “It depends on the cars.”
“What do cars have to do with it?” The youngster explained, “The patrol boy who takes us across the street makes us wait until some cars come along so he can stop them.”
Follow Me
E. Stanley Jones tells of a missionary who got lost in an African jungle—nothing around him but bush and a few cleared places. He found a native hut and asked the native if he could lead him out. The native said he could. “All right,” said the missionary, “show me the way.” The native said, “Walk.” So they walked and hacked their way through unmarked jungle for more than an hour. The missionary got worried. “Are you sure this is the way? Where is the path?” The native said, “Bwana, in this place there is no path. I am the path.”
Bad Assumption
He who thinketh he leadeth and hath no one following him is only taking a walk. –Benjamin Hooks
Hiding the Truth
Leadership is the ability to hide your panic from the others.
Leadership—Two Extremes
The frogs wanted a leader. They bothered Jupiter so much with their requests that he finally tossed them a log into the pond, and, for a while, the frogs were happy with their new leader. Soon, however, they found out they could jump up and down on their new leader and run all over him. He offered no resistance nor even a response. The log did not have any direction or purpose in his behavior, but just floated back and forth in the pond. This practice exasperated the frogs, who were really sincere about wanting “strong leadership.”
They went back to Jupiter and complained about their log leader and appealed for much stronger administration and oversight. Because Jupiter was weary of the complaining frogs, he gave them a stork, who stood tall above the members of the group and certainly had the appearance of a leader. The frogs were quite happy with their new leader. Their leader stalked around the pond making great noises and attracting great attention. However, their joy turned to sorrow and ultimately to panic, for in a very short time the stork began to eat its subordinates.
This story, taken from Aesop, speaks of two kinds of leaders. The Lord does not want His leaders to be like logs who allow people totally to run the church; neither does the Lord want His leaders to be like storks that eat up the people and only take advantage of them. May the Lord grant His leaders the divine balance that He so greatly desires.