Dr. Jack L.
Arnold
LESSON 1
A.
ÒLeadership is
influence, the ability of one person to influence others.Ó (J. Oswald Sanders).
B.
ÒLeadership is
the capacity and will to rally men and women to a common purpose and the
character which inspires confidence.Ó
(Bernard Montgomery)
C.
ÒA leader is a
man who knows the road, who can keep ahead, and who pulls others after
him.Ó (John Mott).
D.
ÒA leader is one
who knows where he is going and can take others with him.Ó (Howard Hendricks).
E.
ÒA leader is one
who guides activities of others and who himself acts and performs to bring
these activities about.Ó (Ted Engstrom).
F.
ÒA leader is a
person who influences people to accomplish a purpose.Ó (Unknown)
G.
ÒA leader is one
who knows how to move a group of people from point A to point B with the least
amount of friction and the most amount of joy.Ó (Jack Arnold).
A.
Some men and women
are born with the natural talent to lead.
This ability is given to both saved and unsaved in common grace. This explains how some men and women
have been great leaders even though they werenÕt Christians. Unsaved leaders operate on a different
world and life view than does the Christian, a view which
is generally self-centered and self-glorifying. If one does not have the natural talent to be a leader
he/she will not be effective in leadership.
B.
Some Christian
men and women are given a special gift of leadership from God (Rom.
12:6-8). This gift was given at
the moment of salvation and must be developed as must
all gifts. One may not have
natural ability but may be given supernatural ability to lead. Those who are given natural talents and
a supernatural gift to lead make very good leaders in the visible church.
C.
Those who have
natural talent and a supernatural gift to lead must develop those gifts, so it
is right to say that leaders are made as well as born and gifted that way (1
Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:6). Leadership
skills can be developed. The gift
of leadership may be used in the flesh (human effort) or brought under the
control of the Spirit so as to be God-directed (Eph. 5:18). True leaders rise to the top but
without leadership skills and Holy Spirit control, gifts are miss-used and
abused.
D.
Not everyone is a
leader. In fact, most people are
followers who are looking for leaders to follow. If everyone was a leader, there
would be no need for followers.
E.
There are
obviously degrees of leadership. Some are more gifted by God than others are (God-given). Others have taken their average gifts
and developed them to the maximum through faithfulness, discipline and
perseverance (man-driven).
A.
Leaders have
vision and managers carry out a vision.
B.
Managers are
people who do things right.
Leaders are people who do the right things.
C.
Leaders are goal
and people-oriented and managers are organizational and result-oriented.
D.
A leader provides
vision. A manager acts to
accomplish the vision.
E.
A leader deals
with intangibles (ideas). A
manager deals with tangibles (facts).
F.
A leader provides
directions. A manager is concerned
about control.
G.
A leader thrives
on finding opportunities (looks forward).
A manager succeeds on accomplishments (looks at
the job at hand).
H.
NOTE: A good leader must be a good manager,
but a good manager may not be a good leader.
IV.
The Need for Leadership (Prov. 29:18)
A.
People need a
vision (revelation). They need to
know where they are going because they donÕt know.
B.
People Òcast off
restraintÓ (are unrestrained).
Literally this means, Òmade naked, stripped of their honor and defenses,
without purpose, no hope, confused, destroyed.Ó
C.
People need
leaders, want leaders, and expect leadership whether they realize it or not.
A.
God is looking
for men after His own heart (1 Sam. 13:14).
B.
God is always
looking for strong leaders (Ezk. 22:30).
C.
God is still
looking for people of honesty and truth (Jer. 5:1).
D.
God is looking
for people who desire to lead (1 Tim. 3:1).
E.
God still works
through leaders today. God used
Moses, Joshua, Jeremiah, Paul, Peter, John, Isaiah, etc. in the Old and New
Testaments. In church history, He
used Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Carey, Livingston, Billy Graham, etc. God used them because of their faith,
obedience, discipline and a desire to do things for GodÕs glory.
A.
God. We must
know God exists (Heb. 11:6) and serve Him by faith/obedience (Prov. 9:10).
B.
Theology. We must
understand who God is and who man is before we can understand the intricacies
of leadership. God is all-powerful
and merciful. Man is created in
GodÕs image but falters due to sin, so even unsaved people are valuable and
saved people fail to meet our expectations.
C.
Worldview. We must
grasp that all of life is related to God. We cannot compartmentalize our lives. Christ is either Lord of all or not
Lord at all.
D.
Values and
Ethics. Based on your view of God, theology and worldview, you live
out your Christian life a certain way.
Doctrine precedes ethics.
We live on what we believe.
E.
Leadership. Based
on your ethics, you then motivate and move people as a leader.
GOD (He exists)
ø
THEOLOGY (God/Man)
ø
WORLDVIEW (What one believes about all of life)
ø
ETHICS (How one lives life)
ø
LEADERSHIP (How one motivates and moves other people)
A.
Means As Well
As Ends. The Bible teaches the formula of Òby grace through faithÓ
for salvation (Eph. 2:8-9) and Christian living (Col. 2:6). The cause is always God, but the means
is manÕs faith. By faith
Christians can make things happen, but ultimately it is GodÕs plan. There are primary causes (God) and
secondary causes (man) and both are taught in Scripture. There is a mystery (antinomy). Christians must Òlet things happenÓ
over which they have no control such as crisis or suffering (relax in GodÕs
sovereign purposes). But by
faith/obedience they can also Òmake things happen.Ó They can change things. Through godly leadership, Christians can make things
happen—it is their human responsibility. Leaders can change things! Leaders can be successful!
B.
Success Is For
GodÕs Glory. Success must be
viewed differently by the Christian than the world views it. Success comes as the Christian does
leadership for God and not to please men.
Success is always to further ChristÕs Kingdom and to bring honor and
glory to the living God. Sometimes
success for Christ looks like failure in the eyes of the world—being
mocked for standing on biblical truth, martyrdom, turning the other cheek,
etc. Real success happens when
things are done according to the Bible, not according to worldly standards.
C.
Judgment for
Christians. Christians will face the Judgment Seat of Christ after this
life. They will give an account of
the good and bad things done in this body while on earth (2 Cor. 5:10). Christians will be evaluated on the
basis of works done for Christ (what) and for motives in doing good works (why)
(1 Cor. 4:5). If this is true of
all Christians, how much more will it be true of leaders.
ÒAt
the end of life, the question will not be, ÔHow much have you got?Õ but ÔHow
much have you given?Õ Not ÔHow
much have you won?Õ but ÔHow much have you done?Õ Not ÔHow much have you saved?Õ but ÔHow much have you
sacrificed?Õ It will be ÔHow much have
you loved and served?ÕÓ
A.
Leadership involves power (authority).
Power is not wrong in itself.
A Christian leader must decide whether he will use this power to bring
glory to God as he leads others according to biblical commands and principles
or whether he will abuse that power and operate according to the flesh, using
human standards. Power not placed
in the hands of God can be a dangerous thing. ÒPower corrupts.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely.Ó
1.
Positional Power. Comes
with a position or office with authority and responsibility.
2.
Charismatic
Power. Comes through a personal ability to influence through
persuasion and logic.
3.
Information
Power. Comes because those who need information are dependent on
those who have expert knowledge.
4.
Relationship
Power. Comes through knowing the right people giving access to
places, positions and resources that would not be available otherwise.
A.
One cannot be a
good leader until he/she has learned to be a follower, learning how to submit
to authority with all the negative and positive attitudes that come with
submission.
B.
The Marks of a
Leader
1.
Good leaders have
a realistic understanding of their skills, abilities and weaknesses and are not
defensive.
2.
Good leaders live
out the values they require of others.
3.
Good leaders were
first good followers who work under accountability to others so they use power
correctly.
4.
Good leaders take
power and use it wisely with courage and humility.
5.
Good leaders never
deny they have power, for if they do, they become dangerous to themselves,
others and organizations.
6.
Good leaders are
always concerned about people in their organization who do not have power and
try to find ways for them to gain power.
7.
Good leaders build
an organization on trust and openness, not by manipulation secrecy and
political maneuvering.
8.
Good leaders
insist that whenever possible people in the organization participate in the
decision-making process when they are affected.
9.
Good leaders view
power as a function and a tool to accomplish goals, realizing that power does
not make a person better, more important or more deserving than other people.
C.
The Marks of a Follower
1.
Good followers
create a climate of win/win situations with the leader so that there is little
feeling of competition.
2.
Good followers
have enough self-confidence to challenge the leader and be a loyal ÒdevilÕs
advocate.Ó
3.
Good followers
obey the leaderÕs orders but do not become slaves.
4.
Good followers
happily fit their own particular skills and experience into the team without
competing for the roles of other team members.
5.
Good followers
are kind to the leader and to the goals of the team, while retaining the
ability to be reflective and constructively critical.
6.
Good followers
leave when it becomes apparent that they no longer can support the values and
goals of the organization or the leader.
7.
Good followers
understand that for them to be good leaders they must first be good followers.
8.
Good followers
are people who respond creatively to leadership and who are productive,
creative members of a team.
ÒIt
is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man
stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who in
actuality in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who
strives valiantly, who errs and comes short again and again because there is no
effort without error and shortcomings, who knows the great devotion, who spends
himself in a worthy cause, who at best knows in the end the high achievement of
triumph and who at worst, if he fails while daring greatly, knows his place
shall never be with those timid and cold souls who know neither victory or
defeat.Ó Teddy Roosevelt
ÒIsnÕt
it funny. When the other fellow
takes a long time to do something, heÕs slow. But when I take a long time to do something, IÕm thorough. When the other fellow doesnÕt do it,
heÕs too lazy. But when I donÕt do
it, IÕm too busy.
When
the other fellow goes ahead and does something without being told, he is
overstepping his bounds. But when
I go ahead and do something without being told, thatÕs initiative! When the other fellow states his side
of a question strongly, heÕs bullheaded.
But when I state a side of a question strongly, IÕm being firm. When the other fellow overlooks a few
of the rules of etiquette, heÕs rude.
But when I skip a few of the rules, IÕm original. When the other fellow does something
that pleases the boss, heÕs polishing the brass. But when I do something that pleases the boss, thatÕs
cooperation. When the other fellow
gets ahead, he sure had a lucky break.
But when I manage to get ahead, Man! Hard work did that!
Funny isnÕt it—or is it?Ó
1.
Economic. Jobs,
how to distribute wealth, education.
2.
Social. Racism,
wars (religious and political), urbanization, population growth.
3.
Politics.
Corruption, egoism, indecision, war.
4.
Technology. Growth
causes fear and instability.
5.
Medical.
Diseases (AIDS, malaria, STD), malnutrition, life-span.
1.
Urbanization.
Dehumanizing effect.
2.
Tribal
pressures. Choice between Bible and culture.
3.
Social and
economic pressures. Jobs, education, housing, poverty,
marriage (polygamy, divorce), child abuse, wife abuse, infant mortality,
abortion.
1.
Rapid growth.
2.
Denominationalism
3.
Theology. Liberalism, syncretism, cults
4.
Lack of
leadership. Need of godly,
trained, committed leaders.
1.
Drugs/Alcohol
2.
Materialism
3.
Suicide
4.
No absolute
standards (relativism)
1.
The cause
is the fall of man in the Garden of Eden—manÕs rebellion against God not
poor leadership per se. Although poor leadership is also the
result of sin. Without a belief in
the basic sinfulness of man, there will never be a solution to the crises of
the world.
2.
The solution
is Jesus Christ in people (individuals).
A changed life changes the culture. We must be committed to the power of the gospel to change
lives (Rom. 1:16) before we set up social programs to meet needs.