Five Styles Of Leadership That Always Lose – Part Four February 27, 2009

#5 – The Fearful Leader

I remember the first full time staff member I hired (it was Lee!)  I was scared…I knew it didn’t make sense on paper…but I KNEW it was what God wanted.

I remember the first time we leased office space…it was going to cost us $750 a month, I didn’t sleep for two nights.  I was scared to death…but I KNEW it was what God wanted.

I remember when we moved from the Sullivan building at Anderson University (sat 150 people) to the Fine Arts Center on that same campus (sat 1,100 seats!)  It was going to cost us $45,000…we had ZERO money saved.  I was scared…but I KNEW it was what God wanted.

I remember when we built our current facility here in Anderson.  It was going to cost MILLIONS…and the sanctuary was going to seat 2,500.  It didn’t make sense…it was CRAZY…but I knew it was what God wanted.

I could go on and on.  The bottom line ISN’T that a leader never comes face to face with a fearful situation…but rather a leader learns to trust in God’s direction and power rather than give into fear and uncertainty.

When a leader allows fear to control him…the people he leads ALWAYS lose.

• Fear forces a leader to embrace the “way things are” rather than how they should be.
• Fear causes a leader to think more about what they have to lose rather than what the Kingdom has to gain.
• Fear makes a person depend on their power and ability rather than God’s.
• Fear leads to impulsive and unwise decisions rather than prayed through and processed ones.

MY prayer for myself is that I NEVER become obsessed with safety and lose sight of HIS SOVEREIGNTY.

He reigns…and IF I BELIEVE THAT THEN I HAVE TO LEAD LIKE I BELIEVE IT!

Any fears you need to face?  NewSpringers…asking you to pray that I will always be willing to take God led steps of faith…and never play it safe because we have WAY too much at stake!

Five Styles Of Leadership That Always Lose – Part Three February 26, 2009

#3 – The “It Will Go Away” Leader

One of the WORSE things a leader can do when they become aware of a problem is IGNORE it…because problems seldom (if ever) just go away.

One of the things I’m learning as a leader is that, when God reveals a problem to me…it isn’t so that I can remain passive about it and hope it will go away–He wants me to take action.

I know leaders who have staff issues in their church…but will not deal with them because they keep thinking if they ignore poor work performance and bad attitudes long enough that the problem will eventually correct itself.

I know leaders who allow really bad programming to continue in their church…thinking that one day what is horrible will magically become good.  It doesn’t.

#4 – The “Keep Everyone Happy” Leader.
You will NEVER please everyone in your church…

EVER!

AND…the thing I’ve learned is that when people are upset they are usually the loudest…which makes them seem like the majority.

One of the problems that exist today in church world is that very few people are willing to LEAD…to have convictions and stand up for them…no matter who gets pissed off.

Paul addressed this in Galatians 1:10…we cannot please people AND please Jesus–period!

And if it ever becomes a leaders goal to keep EVERYONE happy…they will be successful in reaching NO ONE.

Leadership takes guts…thick skin…a willingness to take a slap in the face and keep on going.

God didn’t call leaders to make people happy…He called us to lead people to Jesus.

AND…being obsessed with what others think of you is the QUICKEST way to enter into a state of depression that you will never pull out of.

Acts 20:24…we need to consider our lives worth nothing…and do all we can for HIM…not “them!”

Five Styles Of Leadership That Always Lose – Part Two February 25, 2009

#2 – The Apathetic Leader

One of the biggest problems that exist in church world today is that there are leaders that do not care about the people they are serving…or the condition of the world around them.

Apathy is one of satan’s best weapons.  He doesn’t mind if we know the truth about life, death, heaven, hell and such…he just wants us not to care about it.

One of his best tactics is to get a pastor or a staff member so focused on going to another church, you know, taking a step “up” in ministry that he/she totally neglects the church where they are supposed to be serving.

The day a leader no longer cares about the people he is serving…he should resign immediately.

The day a leader no longer can get passionate about God’s direction for the ministry they are in…and they are OK with it…BIG problems are only a step away.

I believe a leaders job is to beg God…

• Let me see as You see!  
• Let me feel as You feel!  

When those two prayers get legs under them…apathy is no longer a possibility.

Passion is essential for longevity in leadership!

What are you doing to constantly refill your passion tank?  Personally…I…

• Am in THE WORD daily!
• Surround myself with passionate people.  (I do not allow negative people around me…can’t handle it!)
• Attend conferences where leadership is taught.
• Make sure I say in great physical shape.

My prayer is that, as a leader, I will always love what I do…who I serve with and the place of ministry God has called me to be.

A leader who simply does not care will never be a difference maker!!!  

Pray for God to set you on fire.  And NewSpringers…please pray He will take my passion levels to places that they’ve never been!  (BTW…He’s already doing that!!!)

Five Styles Of Leadership That Always Lose – Part One February 24, 2009

#1 – The Lazy Leader

I talked about this a little last week…but a church loses when the leadership is lazy and embraces mediocrity.

Lazy leaders waste time asking God to do the very things He has already COMMANDED them to do.

This really hit me the other morning when I was reading through Genesis 6-8.  God announced to Noah that He was going to destroy the world (talk about a bad day)…but…then told Noah that he and his family would be saved (which HAD to be a relief!)

BUT…God’s plan was for NOAH to actually build the boat that would save him and his family.

Noah didn’t pray that God would build the boat.  He took ACTION…God was very specific on the details and Noah put time and effort into doing what God commanded Him to do.

If He had been lazy…passive…”a prayer warrior” you know, all of the mumbo jumbo people use as an excuse to not do anything…then he and his entire family would have DIED as a result of his laziness.

Leaders are called to action…and when a leader is lazy and wants “God to do it all” and refuses to follow through in steps of obedience because “it’s hard,” the church loses.

David had to actually walk down in the valley and whip Goliath’s rear end.

Moses actually had to walk across the Red Sea.

Peter had to stand up and preach on the day of Pentecost.

Leaders don’t ask God for how little they can do–they constantly ask Him, “what else do You want me to do?”
Anything God’s been asking you to do that you are “spiritualizing” rather than obeying?