Effective Leadership Requires Humility

Effective leadership requires humility (James 1:9; 1 Pt 5:6). A leader with a humble heart demonstrates a discerning, hearing heart[1] as illustrated by Solomon’s request upon becoming king of Israel (1 Kings 3:8). 

The person with a discerning and hearing heart submits to and obeys the indwelling Holy Spirit residing in believers in Jesus Christ (Rom 8:11, 15:13). The Holy Spirit provides specific and general guidance with the humble leader through various modes such as promptings, circumstances, and other people.

Pride, arrogance, greed (2 Tim 3:1–5), complacency, and fruit of the flesh (Gal 5:19–21) contradict God. Leaders who demonstrate these qualities possess inaccurate hearing and discernment. 

These self-centered attributes increase leaders’ desires to speak instead of Christo-centrically listening to God and humans, as well as accurately evaluating messages within their proper contexts.

The heart humble before Christ (1 Pt 5:6) fully pursues God, who releases everything, in all dimensions, congruent with His will (Mt 6:33). Acknowledging and praising Christ, who possesses the entirety of creation and eternity, assures that one’s heart remains in Him (Lk 12:34).

Love-derived praise and obedience to Christ directs the synchronous leading of those whom God assigns to the leader to guide (Mt 22:37–40). The leader’s effectiveness highly correlates with receiving and activating the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22–23). 

The antithesis of effective leadership is the fruit of the flesh (Gal 5:19–21), leading others to darkness (Prov. 1:8–19) instead of to the light of Christ.   

Background

The person with prudence seeks the proper context of messages to assure accurate discernment. Social media posts reflect microcosms of leadership and society, including the inaccurate responses because of improperly defining the context. 

For example, social media posters highly criticized the blank facial expression of Eli Manning, the younger brother of Denver Bronco’s quarterback Peyton Manning, following Denver’s touchdown near the end of Super Bowl 50. 

The criticizers accused Eli of being jealous of Peyton, since a Denver win would enable Peyton to match Eli’s two Super Bowl victories as quarterback of the New York Giants.[2]

Yet Eli said people misread him; he was wondering only whether Denver should go for the two-point conversion. The criticism and conviction arose from arrogance, pride, and complacency preventing viewers and listeners from considering all factors to attain the situation’s full context.

Humility-derived submission, obedience, acknowledgement and praise of Jesus Christ directs one’s relationships with those whom God assigns us through His word and His will. 

Effective leadership requires humility, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to synchronously lead and serve God’s people with effective listening, discernment and seeking the proper context to always serve and glorify God. 

Therefore, the effective leader—individually and within the organization—creates and encourages a culture of humility before God. The effective knows the purpose of hearing and obeying is to serve and glorify the Lord Jesus Christ.

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[1] Thomas L. Constable, “1 Kings,” ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 494.

[2] O'Leary, Daniel. Eli on Super Bowl face: I was thinking about going for two MSN Sports.

February 09, 2016. http://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl (accessed February 09, 2016).

Listening: Pharisee or Greatness

If your favorite team's efforts in preparation and competition, matched your exerted efforts in your profession, would your favorite team's success match your desires for them?

 

I pose this question across America, and now the world? I then affirm that exerted effort, at least in this context, differs from time. In other words, how much of one's physical, mental, and spiritual ability does one exert in their current allotment of time?

 

Two people may each run from 6:00 AM until 7:00 AM, or work on professional project from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM. However, one may exert greater effort within these time frames than the other.

 

I recently shared this with a fellow student, who immediately began tearing apart every word spoken. He failed to understand that effort and the amount of time differ in this example. He proudly explained that he finds fault in most everything anyone says. Unfortunately, I too have been guilty of this more times than I care to admit.

 

I now call listeners like my friend and me Pharisee and Sadducee listeners. We seek to criticize instead of understand the person's message. We look for the wrong in someone's message instead of what is right.

 

Often times people explain the same concept using differing terminology based on our differing vernacular influenced by those with whom we associate. For example in college, Ben from St. Louis drank soda, Jon from Manhattan drank a "coke," while Jamie drank pop, while all three consumed Dr. Pepper.

 

Instead of criticizing Jon for saying "coke" when drinking Dr. Pepper, wisdom seeks Jon's true drink--the true meaning. Pharisee and Sadducee listening to criticize hinders relationships, while listening for what is right, what the person means enhances relationships.

 

The basis of the openning question recognizes we each differ in our "natural" abilities, yet we control our level of application. Over the long haul, the exertion generally makes all the difference.

 

For example, Dr. Ken McFarland told of meeting William Jennings Bryan when Ken was a nine or ten year old boy in Caney, Kansas--approximately 1918. Mr. Bryan stopped in Caney to campaign for the United States Presidency on a hot day. He arrived on the 10:10 Topeka, Santa Fe, Atchison line.

 

Mr. Bryan saw Ken standing barefoot in overalls, and nothing else. William Jennings Bryan approached young Ken McFarland, asking what he was doing out in the hot sun with no hat. Nine or ten year old Ken McFarland shared that he and his brothers listened to Mr. Bryan's "Cross of Gold" record on their families Victrola record player until they "plum wore it out."

 

"I want to raise my voice to the glory of God and the United States, like you said in your speech," declared Ken.

 

"You can do it. Yes, you can do it. You just get down on your knees every night and thank God that you live in this great land, and ask Him to give you gumption. With all that you can do the rest yourself." "Now I have come over here and told you something, I expect you to remember it," explained the great orator, William Jennings Bryan.

 

The young small town Kansas boy looked up exuding admiration, "Oh, I will."

 

Dr. Ken McFarland shares this story in a speech in 1984, adding "As you can see, I still remember it. I still get down on my knees every night thanking God that I live in this great country and ask Him to give me gumption." Dr. McFarland spent his life raising his voice to the glory of God and the United States of America.

 

William Jennings Bryan listened purposely to Ken, and sought to understand his message. Ken McFarland listened to understand and apply the reply from William Jennings Bryan.

 

Dr. Ken McFarland adds, "I continue thanking God for great men who took a little bit of their time to talk to (and listen) to barefooted boys in overalls. It makes all the difference."

 

What might have been the difference in Dr. Ken McFarland's life, as well as the millions of lives impacted by his messages while speaking for Goodyear, Readers Digest and all the organizations if William Jennings Bryan would have listened as a Pharisee with the intent of finding fault and criticism?

 

Instead he listened with the intent seek the meaning, responding to lift up the small Kansas boy, on a hot summer's day, that stood barefoot in overalls?

 

I continue listening to a tape purchased twenty years ago of Dr. McFarland's 1984 speech in Pittsburg. Yes, exerting effort to listen makes all the difference in world.

 

See Christ, Believe Christ, Achieve with Christ!

 

Rick E. Meyer

See, Believe, Achieve Inc.

www.rickEmeyer.com

(First draft 9 September 2012 7:47 PM CDT)