The Inspired Leader: 101 Biblical Reflections for Becoming a Person of Influence (26 page)

DOES HISTORY MAKE make great leaders or do great leaders make history? Would Napoleon have attempted to conquer the world regardless of what age he lived in or was it the social tumult following the French Revolution that drove him to wage war throughout his life?

Times of national crisis sometimes give people the singular opportunity to rise to unprecedented levels of leadership. As a young man, John Adams complained, “I shall never shine, ’til some animating occasion calls forth all my powers.” Before the Civil War, William Sherman experienced failure so routinely he exclaimed, “Every castle that I build is undermined and upset at the very moment I flatter myself of its completion, but the fact is I’m getting pretty well used to it.” Ulysses S. Grant’s biographer noted that he “was a perfect family man. Had peace prevailed he would have lived out his days as a slightly rumpled shopkeeper in the upper Mississippi valley, indistinguishable from his friends and neighbors.” History provided Abraham Lincoln the opportunity to draw upon his deep well of character to lead his nation through tumultuous times. Doris Kearns Goodwin observed, “Without the march of events that led to the Civil War, Lincoln still would have been a good man, but most likely would not have been publicly recognized as a great man. It was
history
that gave him the opportunity to manifest his greatness, providing the stage that allowed him to shape and transform our national life.”

Danger, recessions, or calamities do not automatically morph mediocre leaders into great ones. But they do provide opportunities for stellar leadership. Men and women can draw upon all that God has built into their lives so they live and lead at heightened levels during urgent times. James Buchanan, Lincoln’s predecessor in the White House, was imminently qualified to lead the nation but he failed miserably and is considered one of America’s worst executives. History offered both men an enormous opportunity. Only one rose to the occasion.

The writer of Ecclesiastes advised, “
I have seen the God-given task with which the sons of men are to be occupied. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also He has put eternity in their hearts”
(Ecclesiastes 3:10-11). God has placed eternity in our hearts! We innately desire to live our lives in a way that impacts the future but only God can enable us to do so. When God provides us with opportunities to impact our society, God’s kingdom, and eternity, we ought to seize them. Ecclesiastes also observed, “
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven”
(Ecclesiastes 3:1). Our nation is in a crucial season of its history. Some view these days with anxiety and despair. Others recognize unique opportunities to make significant contributions pivotal to God’s kingdom and to their country. This could be a watershed era. Are you prepared to seize the divine invitations that come your way? Or, will you be cowed by the disheartening news the media routinely spews upon you? After helping craft the Declaration of Independence, John Adams said, “When I consider the great events which are passed, and those greater which are rapidly advancing, and that I may have been instrumental of touching some springs and turning some wheels, which have had and will have such effects, I feel an awe upon my mind which is not easily described.”
Carpe diem
!

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. Are you going through a difficult or a prosperous time presently? How might God use your life uniquely for His purposes during these days?
   

2. As you watch the news and see world events as well as advances in technology and science unfolding, are you intimidated by the day in which you live, or are you excited at the possibilities?
   

3. To every season there is a divine purpose. What do you sense God’s purpose is for the season of life you are presently experiencing?
   

ON AUGUST 2, 216 B.C., a young lieutenant named Gisgo gaped in terror at the ominous sight of 87,000 Roman soldiers massed in the fields before him, ready to brutally destroy him and his 57,000 Carthaginian comrades. The Roman consul C. Terentius Varro, in command of the Roman legions, was determined to annihilate his troublesome enemies once and for all. Gisgo, dreading the looming tumult and convinced that death was close at hand, bemoaned the hopeless odds to his general, Hannibal. Hannibal replied, “Yes, Gisgo, you are right. But there is one thing you may not have noticed.” “What is that?” queried the frightened soldier. “Simply this: that in all that great number of men opposite there isn’t a single one called Gisgo” (Ben Kane,
Hannibal: Enemy of Rome, 142).
With that, the youth conceded a grin and Hannibal and the officers with him burst into laughter. When the soldiers in the ranks witnessed their general laughing with his officers, they took heart, grasped their weapons, and prepared for one of the most famous military encounters in history: Cannae. At day’s end, the field was littered with over 70,000 Roman corpses compared to a mere 6,000 Carthaginian casualties. Hannibal’s forces decimated one of the largest Roman armies in history and would march unimpeded toward Rome.

During a fierce battle against a French army, the Duke of Marlborough sighted one of his cavalry officers hurriedly retreating from the fray with his men following close behind him. Commanding them to halt, Marlborough declared, “Mr. ___________, you are under a mistake; the enemy lies that way: You have nothing to do but to face him and the day is your own.” (Churchill,
Marlborough: His Life and Times,
862). Winston Churchill, no stranger to courage, noted of his esteemed ancestor, “His appearance, his serenity, his piercing eye, his gestures, the tone of his voice—nay the beat of his heart—diffused a harmony upon all around him. Every word he spoke was decisive. Victory often depended upon whether he rode half a mile this way or that” (
Marlborough,
571).

Leaders must inspire their followers, especially in times of crisis. Seasons of peace and prosperity do not call for the unique skills of leaders. But when the storm clouds gather and enemies advance, people instinctively look to their leaders in order to gain confidence and acquire direction. The need for good leadership is not exclusive to the battlefield. The marketplace also requires calm, confident, and compassionate leadership. Unfortunately, in turbulent economic times, some business leaders cloister themselves in their corner office. Others cast blame on their subordinates, or verbally abuse their staff and begin lopping off heads in a frantic effort to cut losses.

Even as Jesus’ enemies were gathering in the darkness to arrest and crucify Him, Jesus assured His disciples, “
Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”
(John 14:27). Leaders who know Christ need not be anxious or fearful. God is in control. His purposes
will
be accomplished. If God is for you, it matters not what or who is against you (Romans 8:31). As your colleagues and staff watch you lead in times of adversity, are they witnessing your serene confidence in God?

REFLECT FOR A MOMENT

1. Do you tend to use your words to encourage others or to rebuke and criticize people?
   

2. How good are you at encouraging others? On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself? List three things you might start doing that would make you better at inspiring people.
   

3. Do you tend to see what is negative or do you immediately recognize the possibilities? Do you focus on opportunities or problems? Do people gain hope when they are around you, or do they become more discouraged? Pray and ask the Lord to make you the kind of person who leaves people better by having spent time with them.
   

A CHRISTIAN CEO recently voiced his frustration after a difficult phone call with his plant manager, “It is
so
hard to show grace when an employee
really
needs a boot in the pants!” he exclaimed. A great perplexity for many Christian businesspeople is to know where grace belongs in the marketplace. Grace is an undeserved gift. It builds up, gives life, strengthens, and makes people more like Jesus, all of this while expecting nothing in return. If you lead an organization strictly by grace you might have great morale but you could also go bankrupt! Business is about smart investments and getting the best value for the dollar. Yet businesspeople are exhorted to, “
Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart GRACE to the hearers”
(Ephesians 4:29). How is that possible in a tough, competitive world? How can you be successful in a job that requires you to reprimand or fire people and yet still demonstrate grace? The Bible says, “
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, FULL OF GRACE AND TRUTH”
(John 1:14). With Jesus, grace and truth always belonged together.

Truth expresses the reality of a situation, telling it like it is…shooting straight…calling a spade a spade. At times people need someone with the courage to tell them how things really are. Leaders must dispense reality to their followers. If no one else is courageous enough to face the facts, the leader must be.