Leaders Who Last E-Book

Dave Kraft

• Herausgeber: Crossway
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 152

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2010

Beschreibung

If the Christian life is like a race, we must admit that too many Christian leaders stumble, burn out, or veer off the track. Clearly it is not automatic that a leader will finish well. Based on Dave Kraft's thirty-five years of leading, teaching leadership, and coaching dozens of Christian leaders, Leaders Who Last moves through three stages of leadership: foundations, formation, and fruitfulness. Concise, anecdotal, and packed with wisdom, this book will help you aim your ambitions, refine your character, and position yourself to be an effective leader who endures. Kraft's brief, down-to-earth guide to Christian leadership will inspire readers to finish the race well-to hit the tape in full stride with an energetic burst of speed and receive their commendation from God.

Leseprobe

LEADERS

WHO LAST

...............

Dave Kraft

Leaders Who Last

Copyright © 2010 by Dave Kraft

Published by Crossway

1300 Crescent StreetWheaton, Illinois 60187

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher, except as provided for by USA copyright law.

Art direction and design: Patrick Mahoney of The Mahoney Design Team

First printing 2010

Printed in the United States of America

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked MESSAGE are from The Message. Copyright © by Eugene H. Peterson 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group.

Scripture references marked TLB are from The Living Bible © 1971. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture references marked PHILLIPS are from The New Testament in Modern English, translated by J. B. Phillips © 1972 by J. B. Phillips. Published by Macmillan.

Trade paperback ISBN: 978-1-4335-1318-3

PDF ISBN: 978-1-4335-1319-0

Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-4335-1320-6

ePub ISBN: 978-1-4335-2417-2

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Kraft, Dave, 1939–

Leaders who last / Dave Kraft

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN 978-1-4335-1318-3 (tpb)

ISBN 978-1-4335-1319-0 — ISBN 978-1-4335-1320-6

1. Leadership—Religious aspects—Christianity. I. Title.

BV4597.53.L43K73 2010

253—dc22                                                           2009020444

Crossway is a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

To

ROY DAVIS,

who significantly influenced me to become a Christian.

He also introduced me to The Navigators.

Roy has helped hundreds of people through the years,

and I am thankful to have been one of them.

And to

WARREN MYERS,

who passed away in April 2001.

Warren believed in me, encouraged me, mentored me,

and inspired me by modeling godly leadership.

Contents

AcknowledgmentsPrologueIntroductionPart One: FoundationsCHAPTER 1. The Leader’s PowerCHAPTER 2. The Leader’s PurposeCHAPTER 3. The Leader’s PassionCHAPTER 4. The Leader’s PrioritiesCHAPTER 5. The Leader’s PacingThinking Things ThroughPart Two: FormationCHAPTER 6. The Leader’s CallingCHAPTER 7. The Leader’s GiftsCHAPTER 8. The Leader’s CharacterCHAPTER 9. The Leader’s GrowthThinking Things ThroughPart Three: FruitfulnessCHAPTER 10. The Leader’s VisionCHAPTER 11. The Leader’s InfluenceCHAPTER 12. The Leader’s LegacyThinking Things ThroughEpilogueNotesGeneral Index

Acknowledgments

I have been the recipient of lots of help. The following individuals gave me ideas: Keith McGuire, Cheryl Meredith, Pete Pagan, Erick Goss, Pete Gerhard, Ron Bennett, and Adam Holtz. Louie Platt devoted many hours to proofreading and making needed corrections. Lastly, I want to thank author and church consultant Bill Easum, who first planted the seed in my heart to write a book on leadership.

Prologue

Bill Broadhurst entered a 10K race in Omaha, Nebraska. When he was younger, he suffered an aneurysm in the right side of his brain. It resulted in a partial paralysis on the left side of his body. Nonetheless, he was determined not only to enter but to finish the race because his hero, Bill Rogers (a world-class marathoner), would be in that race. Rogers won the race, finishing in twenty-nine minutes. It took Broadhurst two and a half hours. He was teased by children, became numb, experienced great pain, had to avoid cars (after they opened the race course up to traffic when they thought everyone had finished), and fought the desire to quit most of the way.

As the sun began to sink in the western Nebraska sky, Broadhurst could barely see the finish line. Approaching the end of the race, consuming the last fumes in his tank, Broadhurst saw Rogers suddenly step out of a darkened alley and welcome him, the partially paralyzed runner, as he stumbled across the line.

Rogers embraced him. Then he took the gold medal from around his own neck and placed it over Broadhurst’s head, saying, “Broadhurst, you’re the winner. Take the gold.”1

Broadhurst finished the race. It was difficult and full of obstacles, but he made it to the end and received the gold medal from Rogers.

In 1 Corinthians 9:24–27 and 2 Timothy 4:7, Paul compares the Christian experience to a race. (The same comparison is also found in Hebrews 12:1–2.) The Christian journey is akin to a race—a marathon, not a short sprint. The key is not how you start the race, but how you finish it. Finishing well is what this book is all about.

Introduction

This book is about finishing your leadership race. It is a marathon, not a hundred-meter dash. Like Bill Broadhurst, you will encounter many obstacles and setbacks. But as a leader, your goal is to finish well—and not just to finish by yourself. You must aim to influence others so they can join you in your race and reach their fullest potential as they travel with you on your leadership journey.

The premise of this book is that you can learn how to be a good leader and finish your particular leadership race well. “Finishing well” can include (but is not limited to):

• maintaining a vibrant and rich walk with Jesus.

• having a solid relational network that includes at least one good friend with whom you can bare your soul.

• making a lasting and God-honoring contribution in your areas of passion and gifting.

My prayer and hope is that after reading this, you will have insight, motivation, discipline, and confidence. I trust that you will experience the grace of the Lord in such a way that, at the end of your journey, you will hear the Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Why is this topic so close to my heart? So many leaders are not doing well and are ending up shipwrecked. Professor Bobby Clinton at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, California, is a key spokesperson on the subject of leadership within the body of Christ. His landmark book, The Making of a Leader, is a must-read for those in leadership positions.1 Clinton has come to the conclusion that only 30 percent of leaders finish well. That is deeply disturbing.

There are many things that prevent us from finishing well in this crazy, fast-paced world. Leaders fight battles within and without that cause them to plateau, quit, or be disqualified. As I lead others, study the subject of leadership, and coach emerging leaders, I admit that I am deeply concerned. Too many are dropping out of the race, losing heart, and letting go of their dreams and lofty purposes. They are simply giving up and throwing in the towel. Due to the rapidly changing and fast-paced world we live in, it is increasingly difficult to lead and lead well with joy, clarity, and confidence. Some just hang on by their fingernails, waiting for retirement to rescue them from their disappointments, fears, and frustrations. What will it take for you and me to be leaders who finish the race well? What issues should we be aware of that could hold us back and keep us from finishing?

I read everything I can get my hands on that deals with the subject of leadership, and I am inclined to agree with some who believe that everything rises or falls on leadership. Without the right kind of leaders, organizations seldom go anywhere and the people who lead them fall short of their true potential. Without the right kind of leaders, organizations become bloated bureaucracies concerned more with policy, politics, and procedures than with creativity and innovation. Sooner or later they have the life choked out of them and quickly become an endangered species!

Most of the leadership books in my library are based on surveys and studies that attempt to crystallize key principles and proven methodologies for discovering, developing, and deploying leaders. These books are written by successful CEOs of large organizations or professors in MBA programs who use the business world as their model.

In contrast, this book is written from my personal leadership journey of over forty years. It is not the result of interviews and surveys from the business sector, nor is it the product of analyzing and dissecting successful leaders from the Bible or history. Instead, it is a personal and extremely practical account of essential leadership principles I have learned and use. As a simple, down-to-earth guide to Christian leadership, this book was born out of leading, teaching leadership, and personally coaching dozens of Christian leaders. It is an easy-to-understand road map for leadership, because I am an active practitioner, not an academic theorist. Everything in this book flows from my personal experience and convictions.

Leaders Who Last is written from a Christian perspective. As I write, my words are primarily, but not exclusively, addressed to the following types of church leaders:

• Senior pastors

• Ministry staff members

• Volunteer leaders

• Sunday school teachers

• Small-group leaders

• Leaders in local parachurch organizations

I love the church. There is nothing as exciting as the local church when it is properly and dynamically led by the right kinds of leaders. I became a follower of Jesus Christ through the ministry of a local church and ever since have had a burden for local churches.

I share Paul’s sentiment expressed in 2 Corinthians 11:28: “There is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.” There are many things to be concerned about today in the church scene:

• A multitude of churches have plateaued, are dying, or are already dead.

• Antiquated forms and methods that no longer work are still in use today.

• Worship wars are raging.

• There is a lack of deep spirituality among church members.

• There is an absence of intentional and relevant outreach.

But my biggest concern is the lack of the right kind of leadership. I have a deep and abiding concern for leaders in local churches. This book is an attempt to address all these concerns.

If you are currently in a leadership position or anticipate that you will be in the near future, it should become increasingly clear to you that you will need to live and lead in a new way. This is necessary to stay viable as a leader, survive your journey, and accomplish your objective.

Times have changed, the culture has changed, rules have changed, and expectations of leaders have changed. metathesiophobia is the impossible-to-pronounce word for “fear of change.” Fearing, resisting, or balking at the need to change, grow, and adapt can be your undoing as a leader. It can start a downward spiral for your organization or group. The only thing that seems to remain the same is change. Change is more prolific, rapid, and complex than ever before. The only place you can’t be sure of change is from a vending machine. Everything else is up for grabs.

Here are a few obvious contrasts in the way we need to lead today compared to the ways we’ve led in the past.

Past LeadersFuture LeadersOrganizationalRelationalOperate in committeesOperate in teamsCommand and controlPermission-givingDegreed and electedGifted and calledLinear and pyramidalOverlapping circlesShare propositional truthTell storiesPeople of the written pagePeople of the screenTightly structuredHighly flexibleEmphasize positionEmphasize empowerment

My desire is that sharing my experience will provide ideas that will aid you as a leader. I also hope to help you build into the lives of those you lead. How will you find newer and younger leaders for the next generation, and what will you need to do with them and for them so that they finish well?

Let’s begin by defining our terms. People use the word “leader” in a variety of ways. Some thinkers and writers are of the opinion that everybody is a leader because we all influence people in one way or another. At the opposite end of the spectrum are those who define leader so rigidly and exhaustively that even Jesus wouldn’t qualify. Their list of essential qualities and ingredients is endless and overwhelming.

I have sought to understand and then define what experience has taught me about the nature of leadership. At the moment, I am in between the two extremes of “everybody is a leader” and “a leader as the fourth person of the Trinity” (i.e., a leader who thinks he is a super-leader—omniscient and omnipotent, like the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit).

Before I toss my current working definition of “leader” on the table, allow me to share a deep conviction. The greatest and most pressing need in the body of Christ today is an army of leaders who have a vision of a desired future and are called and anointed by God. These leaders possess a fire burning in their hearts that can’t be extinguished. They are motivated and led by God to intentionally, passionately, and effectively influence others.

Local churches are well populated with leaders who are good teachers, sensitive counselors, and detailed administrators. These roles and functions are necessary. But we need much more than that—oh, so much more! We desperately need visionary leaders like Paul, who said to Agrippa, “I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision” (Acts 26:19). Most organizations are over-managed and under-led. That needs to change or the body of Christ will be in deep trouble.

Here is how I define “leader” throughout this book:

A Christian leader is a humble, God-dependent, team-playing servant of God who is called by God to shepherd, develop, equip, and empower a specific group of believers to accomplish an agreed-upon vision from God.

These are the key ingredients of leadership:

• Christian leaders are, first and foremost, servants (bond slaves) of the Lord, and second, servants of those they are leading.

• They are characterized by humility, dependence, and team-playing, rather than being a loner or one-man show.

• Christian leaders are called by God into leadership. They do not decide for themselves to be a leader. They are not pushed into leadership by well-meaning supporters, nor do they arrive at leadership because no one else will do it.

• Christian leaders have at least four major responsibilities:

• Shepherding—a leader loves and cares for those being led.

• Developing—a leader helps those being led in their personal walk with Jesus Christ to become fully devoted followers.

• Equipping—a leader trains those being led for ministry.

• Empowering—a leader inspires, encourages, affirms, believes in, and frees people up to serve out of their gifting.

• Christian leaders are moving toward a specific destination.

• Christian leaders are creating and sustaining an agreed-upon vision. There is an initial buy-in and a growing ownership of the vision among those being led.

I promise you an interesting and worthwhile trip. Let the race begin!

PART ONE

Foundations

Because leading is a reflection of who you are, you lead from the inside out. The leader must live in five areas (as demonstrated by the center hub and four spokes of the leadership wheel):

• With Jesus Christ in the center as your power

• With Jesus Christ as you develop a purpose

• With Jesus Christ as you develop a passion

• With Jesus Christ as you set priorities

• With Jesus Christ as you develop pacing for how much you accomplish and how fast you do it

CHAPTER 1:

The Leader’s Power

“Remember that the power comes through you, not from you.”

FRED SMITH SR.

As a leader, everything I am and everything I do needs to be anchored in my identity with Christ. Leadership begins and ends with a clear understanding of the gospel and being rooted in the grace of Jesus Christ as a free gift.

Gospel Identity

I am saved and kept by the power of God and am a Christian and a leader by grace and grace alone. I didn’t earn it and I don’t deserve it. Ephesians 2:8–9 says it well: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” As I lead, I lead out of the reality of being saved by Jesus, and Jesus alone, and empowered by the Holy Spirit for the leadership role and responsibilities to which he calls me. It is too easy for the work and the ministry to be the center instead of Jesus himself.

I had a rude awakening a few years ago. I was asked to speak to a group of pastors at a retreat on the subject of the pastor’s personal devotional life. As we launched into the first day, I was shocked to find out that most of the pastors only spent time with the Lord in his Word when preparing for preaching and teaching. I thought this was highly unusual, since I was taught early how important it is to feed myself from Scripture before seeking to give spiritual sustenance to others. Ezra 7:10 has long been my benchmark: “For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” First, I study and apply God’s Word to my life. Then I teach others.

Since that retreat, I have discovered that many leaders have never established spiritual habits of the heart that include confession and worship, as well as intake of the Word of God. This is vital to staying connected with Jesus, the power source of our life and ministry.