Courage to Lead
“Leaders do not conform for the sake of conforming. They do not do what others do merely because people are doing it. They follow an inner voice, a call. They have a vision–not of what is, but of what might be. They think outside the box, and they march to a different tune.”
Leaders Lead. That is not to say that they do not also follow, but what they follow is often different than what most people follow. Leaders do not conform for the sake of conforming. They do not do what others do merely because people are doing it. They follow an inner voice, a call. They have a vision –not of what is, but of what might be. They think outside the box, and they march to a different tune.[1] (Jonathan Sacks)
Abraham was told by God to leave his land and his father’s house and go to a land God would show him.
Why? Because people conform. We tend to absorb the culture of the time where we live. This is natural and it can be good, but often it is not. We often don’t know how much of who we are and what we think is not from God, but simply a reflection of the thinking, values, and assumptions of those around us. We must let the Word of God reshape who we are and how we approach our life and our leadership.
God wanted Abraham to be different. Not for the sake of being different but for the sake of starting something new. Abraham and his descendants would not worship power or symbols of power like their ancestors had done. That was simply idolatry. God had a new path for Abraham. We, like Abraham, must be willing to depart from all that is around us so that we don’t slip into worshiping old gods that are not true gods.
When we hear the word idol, we usually think of an old statue that people bow down to. But we must see that idols symbolize power. Power allows us to rule over others without their consent. Leaders lead; they do not control. They do not coerce, and they do not manipulate. They lead by example and to do that they must separate themselves from the values and goals of the culture around them. This type of separation requires us to be ruthless with ourselves. Our hearts must not accept the patterns of those from this world who Jesus says “lord it over” others. True leaders do not use power–they lead by influence.
Abraham is without a doubt the most influential person who ever lived. Today, he is named as the spiritual ancestor of 2.4 billion Christians, 1.6 billion Muslims, and 13 million Jews. That’s more than half of the people alive today. He ruled no empire, commanded no army, performed no miracles, and proclaimed no prophesy. He is the supreme example in all of history of influence without power.[2]
Leadership can be lonely. Others may try to use their power to manipulate others, but when God calls us to walk a different way, we must continue in the ways He outlined. It takes courage to persevere in a vision, and Abraham is an example of this. He had to be patient and wait on the promises of God even when it looked impossible and others thought he was crazy. It takes courage to stand up for what you believe, and it takes courage to obey God. Remember that dead fish go with the flow, but live fish swim against the current.[3] It takes a lot of nerve to do the right thing sometimes, especially when we face opposition from others. Good leaders, however, will not suffer from a “failure of nerve” but will stay the course as long as they are sure of the will of God.
The above is a summary of the writings of the late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks from his book Lessons in Leadership and a few thoughts from another book of his, The Failure of Nerve. I recommend both books for those who need the courage to lead well.
