Mohler on Leadership

Al Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and hailed by Time magazine as “the reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S. has written a book in which he aims not to merely add a voice to the ongoing conversation about leadership, but rather wants to fundamentally change the way leadership is understood and practiced. In this work, The Conviction to Lead, he lists 25 principles for leadership that matters. Mohler has a leadership legacy that lends credibility to his message. It is worth taking note.

Principle 1 – The Conviction to Lead: Leadership starts with a purpose, not a plan. 

Mohler states unequivocally that “many leaders are masters of change and organizational transformation, but they lack a center of gravity in truth.” It is in this general context that he describes a culture of leadership over the past several decades that has focused on leadership as management. Management focuses on methods, motivations, strategies and execution. While these are absolutely essential components as the tools of leadership, little attention has been paid to the center of gravity (or lack thereof) so essential to deeply formative and transformative leadership. He states in the concluding lines of the first chapter: “If our leaders are not passionately driven by the right beliefs, we are headed for disaster. At the same time, if believers cannot lead, we are headed nowhere.” And then in Mohlerian, visionary language, he declares, “I want to see a generation arise that is simultaneously leading with conviction and driven by the conviction to lead. The generation that accomplishes this will set the world on fire.”

Amen! May we see the world on fire, in our generation.

http://www.amazon.com/Conviction-Lead-The-Principles-Leadership/dp/0764210041/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354412763&sr=8-1&keywords=the+conviction+to+lead 

Getting Started- The Dream and First Steps

The-Dock has been a dream for nearly two years. Intended initially as a way of networking leaders (particularly pastors) through teleseminars and webinars, the vision is being expanded to eventually include hard copy products such as newsletters, audio CD's and DVD's as well as a website for blogs, suggested resources and interactive forums. Particularly in the Conservative Anabaptist world where the majority of pastors are bi-vocational, continuing education must be done as efficiently as possible. Time off work for ministry in the local church often stretches the financial resources to the limit. To even consider pursuing additional, formal education is almost out of the question.

Several attempts have been made to remedy this difficulty. SMBI has an annual Minister's Week where pastors gather to study and fellowship. I personally attended this for a number of years and found it not only refreshing but also helpful. BMA has also incorporated an annual Minister's Enrichment that provides a less intensive though still informative event. This model of multi-day events for pastors is also established in many other groupings of churches. Such events often have their primary value in the social interaction they provide and the renewal and inspiration that come from spending time with colleagues. The preaching and teaching are a blessing. The costs, however, are also significant. Travel, meals, accommodations and the time away from "paying jobs" can require a significant investment of resources - both time and money.

In recent years, The Shepherd's Institute was formed to provide a week-long training time for ordained ministers. Having attended many of these myself, I note that very few are able to participate due to the demands of vocation or because of limited financial resources. All who attend such intensive study/training times give raving reviews about how helpful it is to study under seasoned pastors such topics as sermon preparation and delivery, hermeneutics, pastoral counseling, shepherding, leadership and other topics related to serving the local church. Older pastors have made such comments as, "I wish I could have had this opportunity early in my ministry."

In addition, we have a few seasoned, well-educated pastors who have much to contribute. The-Dock.com is  intended to become a place to tie-up for brief periods of time to listen, think, reflect and learn from seasoned people who have been on the voyage of life for years. It is hoped that seasoned leaders can both teach from their fields of expertise and then interact with guests and subscribers through regular Q&A sessions and other interactive forums. Some of it will take place in live events while many of these events will also be made available afterward for those who could not participate on the live schedule.

This is only a rather hurried and brief launch, but more information will be coming in the next several weeks. Meanwhile, please visit us on Facebook or at our WebPage. If you visit our current webpage, please submit your name and email address on our "Submit Contact Info" link and we will update you as the project develops.