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.
No comments:
Post a Comment