And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.”

John 10:4

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In my perspective, leaders are people who are being drawn by something beautiful and tantalizing that awaits them in the future. Whether it be a prototype school, winning a championship, or experiencing a world without poverty, leaders surrender themselves to a cause greater than themselves. When others are caught by the same cause, they also take steps of faith to enter the battleground of creativity. In time, the vision becomes a movement. The movement materializes as the vision becomes reality. All along the catalyst of the movement is what I call a leader.

 

Many qualities combine to make effective leaders, but I feel that effective leadership is rooted in two primary qualities. These qualities are not often encountered together in the same person, but when they come together, they make the world’s greatest leaders.

 

First, leaders are not satisfied with the world, or some condition in the world, as it is today. There is a deep restlessness within, an angst, an urgency to engage the current circumstances and enact change or to bring about an effect. The actual source of this dissatisfaction is love, and love is more powerful than highly enriched uranium. The opposite of love is apathy. Love gives rise to an energy within, an urgency to remake the world. This desire to remake the world is the engine inside of a great leader. It is this quality which people sometimes refer to as “passion,” or “drive.” Jesus did not enter the villages of Palestine as a tourist. He was an activator. Wherever he went, he brought healing, transformation and hope. The lame walked, the sick were healed, and the blind could see. Jesus was a man on a mission. He most definitely was driven from within to see the world restored. Leaders who have this internal motor running are able to make great sacrifices on behalf of their cause, to step into the unknown, and lead others into the creative process in spite of great risk, potential suffering and loss. Very few people care about much of anything beyond themselves, their comfort, pleasure and safety. This is why true leaders are rare. Many appear to be leaders until they encounter resistance. Their primal instinct to survive overcomes love. Vision melts away under fire and the movement dies. Great leaders, however, are willing to be nailed to a cross on behalf of their cause.

 

Second, leaders have the quality of persuasiveness. People who accomplish great things alone are amazing, but they are not leaders. When Usain Bolt shattered the world record in the 100 meter sprint, he was not a leader. But when thousands of Jamaican children saw Usain Bolt run, then went outside and started running, Usain Bolt became a leader. This persuasiveness is not an external attractiveness or persona. Rather, there is a hope and faith within that inspires others, energizing a growing movement with a vision. Whether a leader’s persuasiveness is based in his or her expertise, knowledge, determination, experience, faith, hope, or love, when a leader speaks, people want to listen. The leader may not be “likeable” or have an extroverted persona, nevertheless there is something about or within that person which causes others to want to be around them, emulate them and follow them.

 

Other qualities come to mind. Effective leaders don’t take themselves too seriously. Effective leaders are great listeners, and are tuned in to how people are feeling. Effective leaders never panic. They stand up with confidence, clarity and faith in the midst of a crisis. Effective leaders embrace constructive criticism, and see the most difficult people around them as “editors,” rather than as “enemies.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, obviously.

 

Although President Clinton apologized to the enraged Chinese government, and CIA officials claimed they had been using outdated maps, (Ahem, yeah right.) we can easily surmise about what really happened. The Chinese government, which for decades had been spying on U.S. military technology, pounced on the downed plane, paid off the locals for its parts, and trucked them to the Chinese embassy, storing them in the basement. No doubt U.S. satellites picked up the whole thing.

 

After all, China is the world’s foremost nation of knockoffs. I see plenty of them here in Indonesia. Fake Blackberries (called “Blueberries”). Fake Yamaha motorcycles and knock off laptops. The Chinese economy is making a killing off of imitation. They are the geniuses of the clone wars.

 

Look all around. There are creatives and then there are immitators. Originals and clones. There are forward thinkers and others trying to catch up. Kids who are ready for their exams, and those who look over the shoulders of their classmates for answers. There are pick and rolls, and then there are cherry pickers. Original sermons, ideas, books, plot lines and copycats.

 

I’ve been noticing something lately about God and the Bible. God never does the same thing exactly the same way twice. Only one Jericho. Only one kid kills a giant with a sling. And that kid refused to wear another man's armor. He killed the giant his own way. His God is the ULTIMATE CREATIVE. God never resorts to the knock off. His creativity is always new. Always fresh. Always a new song in the morning. A new WORD from his Spirit.

 

Can you get a feel for where I’m going with this? Take a fast growing church, for example. It was a movement. Powerful. All God. Holy Spirit. Miraculous. Ridiculously unexplainable. Only God got the glory. Sort of. Until an army of pastors of smaller churches swarmed around asking, “How did you do this?” “What is your secret?” Strategy? Technique? Methods? So the church threw conferences. They charged a fat little entrance fee. They used media, power points and stood behind microphones explaining their methods, and they went home and tried to imitate what they heard about. And of course that’s when the movement died.

 

How about you? Did you know there’s no one else anything like you? Seven billion people walking the earth, and there’s only one you. Why? Because the ARTIST made you, and the ARTIST only makes originals. He also has original ideas for you every day. He has a totally unique way for you. No more trying to be a knockoff. It’s fake, and everyone around can smell imitation. Be you. Listen to God. Be the person He made you to be.

 

An original.