Weekly Thought – June 23, 2020

Fred thought in pictures. His ability to pass visuals along to his audiences endeared him to all who listened. They carried home more than words, even more than principles – they had a concept they could picture.

As we mentioned before, it is time to update the breakfastwithfred.com website. Like all of us, it has aches and pains. If you would help us underwrite this process, any gift is greatly appreciated. Thanks for praying for us.

Wheelbase

Fiat 500s and Rolls Royce limousines have a commonality: they both have a wheelbase. The big difference is the distance between the front and back wheels. The shorter the wheelbase, the more quickly the impact of road bumps is felt and the rougher the ride. It doesn’t affect the ability to arrive at the destination – it does impact the comfort of the passengers.

Nearly sixty years in business has given me ample opportunities to put this visual into practice.

A baby has a short emotional wheelbase. He or she goes from crying to laughing and back to crying with very little provocation – and time. My grandson Jeff often heard me speak of this principle. When he and his wife Anne began raising their family this came back to him. I overheard him telling baby Jack who was crying in his high chair, “LYW, Jack, LYW.” When I asked what he said, he told me: ‘Lengthen your wheelbase, Jack.”
As we grow, our emotional wheelbase should lengthen. We learn the bad is never that bad and the good is never that good. The mature learn to live with a balance understanding and practicing, “This, too, shall pass.” Emotional maturity allows us to face crisis without giving in to the panic of the environment. Under the glass on my desk are lines from the poem “If.” “If you can keep your head when all those around are losing theirs…” At the end of the litany of ifs is the famous line, “Then you, my son, are a man.”

Yet, some executives maintain their childish short emotional wheelbase. You cross them and they scream; you please them and you are the recipient of flowery clichés. They are weak leaders and fail to engender great loyalty and trust.

The winner who stretches his emotional wheelbase enjoys greater success. And it is infinitely easier on the organization, the community, the family – and their own bodies.

This week carefully consider: 1) How long is my emotional wheelbase? Am I driving a Smart Car or a limo? 2) What exercises can I do to move toward maturity? 3) What picture am I taking away this week?

Words of Wisdom: “The winner who stretches his emotional wheelbase enjoys greater success.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity.” (Hebrews 6:1(a) NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – March 17, 2020

Fred’s reputation as a communicator extended to writing, consulting, and speaking. He studied the principles and styles throughout his life. His goal was to understand the impact of true communication. His “ten commandments of communication” were used as a weekly eight years ago this week. Fred originally put it on paper in 1987. They may be new to you, or they may be an excellent reminder of Fred’s strong thoughts as a nationally known speaker. Let them be helpful to you this week.

The Jarvis Christian College project is moving well. Please continue to pray for the students, the curriculum, and the influence.

Ten Commandments of Communication

1. Be believable: make sure you demonstrate agreement with your audience with your style, dress, speech patterns, vocabulary, etc. Speak convincingly with authority and experience.
2. Be audience oriented: always have an attitude of a servant, not a master. Show gratitude for the opportunity. Make sure you speak to an audience about a subject, not about a subject to an audience… put the audience first.
3. Be personal: create a one on one relationship. Do not be removed from the audience. Share life experiences when appropriate and tastefully done.
4. Be prepared: always speak from the overflow. Respect for the audience requires proper preparation. come ready to pull from a deep well. Freedom and confidence result from full preparation.
5. Be enjoyable: audiences relate to stories which illustrate points. Be ready to give hope. Bring good news. Each opportunity before an audience is a stewardship. Always recognize they are trading time to listen to you.
6. Be human: there is no room for a messianic complex in a successful speaker, nor an attitude of inerrancy. Humor is a key element in establishing a human connection. A speaker can get laughs with “blue humor,” but will lose respect. Finding stories which bring clean laughter connects the speaker to the audience, moves the points, and breaks down tension.
7. Be empowered: I always remind myself that I am the pipe, not the pump. I am not the Holy Spirit (the generator), but the tube through which He flows. My motives must be clean; my attitude must be ready.
8. Communicate to change behavior: the goal must be to spur the audience to action. A critical rule: never manipulate principles; never play with the truth. Challenge audience to take the next step knowing they will only hear what they can immediately apply.
9. Pray before speaking: ready your attitude. Keep “profitability to the Master” uppermost before saying one word. Listen for “nudges” from the Holy Spirit.
10. Leave them wanting more: create a desire to know more about both the subject and the speaker. Give back time, never go over the allotted minutes. Avoid the “when are they going to stop” atmosphere. The best content has a limited receptivity.
An 11th added years later: “Speak to express, not to impress.”
This week think about: 1) Which commandment can help me in my speaking right now? 2) How can I apply these principles to my home, career, and community? 3) What opportunity for communication is uppermost for me this week?
Words of Wisdom: “Speak to express, not impress.”
Wisdom from the Word: “A wise person’s heart makes his speech wise and it adds persuasiveness to his words.” (Proverbs 16:23 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – February 25, 2020

Fred learned from his mentor to put his thoughts in writing. He benefited from skilled administrative assistants who understood his style and translated his thoughts to paper. Thankfully, files exist which hold decades of these ruminations. Five pages of onion skin typing paper hold one liners on leadership, written in 1958 when he was 42.

In 2020 the What’s Next Roundtable creates a three session model which will engage students and team members for an entire semester. Please pray for the students who are nominated by their schools, team members who accept this ongoing challenge, and growth for all who participate.

Lines on Leadership

1. Leadership does not mean domination. It seeks effective activity with a beneficent purpose.
2. In every significant event there has been a bold leader, an object, or purpose – and an adversary.
3. A healthy society is one in which opportunities are given for leaders to emerge from all ranks in the population.
4. Marks of a leader: individual craftsmanship, sensibility, insight, initiative and energy.
5. No sluggards need aspire to leadership. There are passive persons who are content to go through life getting lifts from people who wait until action is forced upon them. They are not leadership material.
6. Leaders get out in front and stay there by raising the standards by which they judge themselves – and by which they are willing to be judged.
7. A love of high quality is essential in a leader.
8. The leader carries with him a sense of idealism – a vision of what might be.
9. The leader will take counsel from others, but will act on what his/her mind says is right. A leader is self-trained out of the fear of making a mistake.
10. The leader acts on probabilities instead of certainties.
11. Leaders need to submit themselves to a stricter discipline than is expected of others. Those who are first in position must be first in merit.
12. Leaders must have the force of character necessary to inspire others to follow with confidence.
13. Leadership motivates people to work for you when they are under no obligation to do so.
14. Leaders must see situations as a whole, as well as in the separate parts.
15. The higher leaders go in management, the more they need refilling because they are constantly giving out.
16. If leaders want to attract people, let others know and believe they are willing to find and share a great purpose in living.
17. Leadership cannot be delegated.
18. Leaders understand how much can be accomplished by people when expectations are real. Only when higher performance is demanded, do we realize the extent of our capabilities.
19. Leaders plan the utilization of skills. Sloppy practices set precedents.
20. Policies and plans are more or less useless unless they are known to all affected.

This week carefully think about: 1) How do I define leadership? 2) Who has most effectively modeled leadership for me? 3)Which of Fred’s one liners particularly hits me?

Words of Wisdom: “The leader carries with him a sense of idealism – a vision of what might be.”

Wisdom from the Word: “‘And in the last days it will be,’ God says, ‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.’” (Acts 2: 17 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – August 13, 2019

Fred identified key leadership principles early in his career, but he didn’t stop to write about them until the mid-80s. Having his thoughts captured through articles, notes, and speeches creates an on-going legacy for all of us.

Please pray for the fall BWFLI schedule and those who will be going to Palm Beach Atlantic University for the What’s Next Roundtable. Your financial support is certainly appreciated to underwrite these efforts as the Christian colleges and universities are charged no fees, nor do the team members receive honoraria.

Executive Concepts

I use this as a working definition: “an executive is not a person who can do the work better than the employees; he or she is a person who can get the team to get the work done better than he/she can.” My responsibility is to be a super-visor, not a super-worker. Times of physical inactivity can provide space for strategic thinking. My system requires competence around me. It demands a finely tuned method of selection, development, and motivation.

It is built on the foundation of decisiveness. Not quick draw reactions, but well-trained and disciplined decisions.
Recently, I looked at an organization with problems. I asked the board, “Is our lead horse strong enough to pull the wagon?”

“No,” was their answer.

“Okay, where is the one we need?” That prompted a search, hire, and move forward. I could have approached it differently by saying, “This man we have is sincere. With enough help, he just might make it.” What would be the probable result? Five years pulling with him and then finding out he just couldn’t do the job. A tremendous amount of time and effort would have been wasted, paralyzing the organization. The earlier the make a decision about a failure and cut your losses, the less actual loss.

I once asked a banker, “What do you consider when you make a loan?”

“I always think, never delay a failure with my money.”

People spend endless energy delaying failures. In truth, we see change as catastrophic when it is very often the very door we need. I sent one of our daughters a quote I saw when she was in the midst of change: “I refused to change until it became too painful to stay where I was.” Sometimes growth is forced upon us.

Insurance company executive Roger Hull liked to talk about people who succeed after failing… even seeing the failure as the foundation for success. If you are the head of something and you don’t make it go, that’s your responsibility. If you are not making it, you ought to make a change. If you haven’t got the guts to make the change yourself, then somebody ought to make it for you.

People who wait around trying to find the pleasant, comfortable moment to make difficult decisions are simply kidding themselves. When you know a situation is going wrong, then do something to alleviate it. The answer to most problems is the right people in the right places. (Editor’s note: this was written in the 1980s before the concept became common place.)

This week think about: 1) Where have I grown by making a change, even if painful? 2) How can I help someone else stop delaying failure? 3) When do I slip into super-worker versus super-visor?

Words of Wisdom: “Sometimes growth is forced upon us.”

Wisdom from the Word: “For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Extraordinary Strategist, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – August 6, 2019

Fred committed much mental and physical energy thinking about Christianity Today, International (CTI). His friendship with Billy Graham began long before the inception of the magazine and his relationship to the work of CTI was on his mind until his death in 2007. Paul Robbins and Harold Myra were great partners in their mutual exhilaration process. They capably activated the “fire hose” of Fred’s thinking. This week’s content is extracted from an interview with Paul. Even though it is nearly 30 years old, the thoughts are contemporary.

www.breakfastwithfred is a senior citizen in the world of digital content. This summer needed repairs were made. Upgrades are currently underway to bwfli.com. Houses, cars, and websites all need maintenance, don’t they? Thanks for your prayerful encouragement. We are grateful for your standing with us throughout these years. It is joyful to serve you while expanding the reach of Fred’s work.

Unpacking Leadership

Paul Robbins (PR), Harold Myra (HM): Fred, you have achieved a great deal in your life. How did you find the time?

Fred: Those of us who divide our efforts, particularly in the more visible activities, may appear to do more, but I doubt it. Frankly, I thought you might ask me why I have done so little, considering Wesley, Napoleon, Churchill, and others who have done so much with their 24 hours. I keep thinking how much Wesley did in such a relatively short life span. I am not being facetious or humble. My rule is to “think use, not amount.” Blaming lack of time can become an escape mechanism.

PR, HM: You always appear so relaxed, even casual, yet there is below the surface a lurking intensity. Does this intensity have a special meaning for you?

Fred: Yes, I guess it does, for it is one of my touchpoints, like a channel marker to a ship captain. Intensity is the boiling point of effort, the concentration of energy, the tip of the welding flame. Most accomplishers have a special ability to develop intensity at the right time over the right issue. Most pros have the ability to maintain a relaxed pose, then snap into action at the right moment. Only amateurs keep jumping up and down all the time like college cheerleaders. Many hardworking people fail to accomplish because the lack intensity at the critical points. Good leaders study situations, identify the critical elements and put additional resources at those points. Occasionally I do a check-up on my intensity level. If I am flat and intense about little, I know I need an adjustment. The people around me and the projects are important to maintaining intensity in good working order. I need people who correctly evaluate and turn up the intensity. Those who can’t can foul up the play or severely limit the options.

PR, HM: What are shorthand clues to your style?

Fred: I try to decide 1) what I’m trying to do, 2) what it takes to do it, and 3) who can I get to do it better than I can. I find summary thoughts helpful to keeping me conscious of goals like: “Results are the only reason for activity.” So many good-intentioned people will spend their time (and try to take mine) telling about the details of the work they are doing. I short-cut this by looking them in the eye and simply saying, “Don’t tell me about the labor pains – show me the baby!”

This week think about: 1) What are some of my key markers for leadership? 2) How apt am I to get bogged down in labor pains? 3) Where is my source of intensity?

Words of Wisdom: “Blaming lack of time can be an escape mechanism.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Trust in him at all times, you people! Pour out your hearts before him! God is our shelter!” (Psalm 62:8 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – May 28, 2019

Fred knew his gifting included communication. His life verse was a paraphrase given to him by an evangelist when he was a teenager… “Take the gift God has given you, and use it, and you will stand before great men.” (Proverbs 18:16) He worked his entire life honing his skills, stewarding his gift, and using them well.

Would you like to participate with BWF in researching how to use Fred’s material in the decision making process? Please email at Brendaasmith@aol.com

Discipline of Communication

Every leader spends a great deal of the day communicating. Many books are written on the techniques, but the emphasis should be on the spirit, not just on the technique. The why, and the who are essential to creating an effective strategy for how and when. If two people want to talk together, it is almost impossible to fail. One of the hindrances to effective communication is the self-centered motivation. Too many are influenced by their desire to impress, not express.

My friend Zig Ziglar speaks before great audiences inspiring and motivating healthy action. When building teams it is essential to understand how to use communication to the highest degree. Jim Collins wrote about going from “good to great” in your organization. Having properly, genuinely motivated employees is a benefit of good communication.

Most leaders are adequate talkers, but inadequate listeners. The ability to listen creatively and positively depends on the leader’s skill development on four levels: 1) the meaning of the words. Often vocabulary is an evidence of experience, education, and background; 2) the choice of words. I have friends with impeccable word usage. They have a wide, diverse repertoire which allows them to be very specific; 3) the sounds of the words. Words are emotionally charged. We can pick up what is going on just by hearing the tone, and rhythm; 4) the sight of the words. I would say this falls into the body language category. What we say is actually seen in our bodily reactions. When we think we are not communicating, our bodies are sending messages.

Most people listen negatively which is simply keeping silent, or reloading while the other one is shooting. Acquiring the skills of active listening guides the talker both in the giving of facts and a display of emotion which permits the listener to evaluate on more than a surface level.

An important point I want to make: communication is mistakenly confused with agreement. I often hear people comment about the solution to all relationship, management, and social problems is “communication.” The emphasis on talking with each other is the answer which will bring agreement. NOT SO! In my experience there are times that fully understanding what the other person is saying brings more disagreement and conflict. Listening, hearing, and understanding are critical to communication but not synonymous with agreement and concord.

This week think about: 1) How well am I doing with communicating to express, not impress? 2) Which of the listening skills is my strength, weakness? 3) What comes to mind as a communication goal this week?

Words of Wisdom: “We should speak to express, not impress.”

Wisdom from the Word: “A wise person’s heart makes his speech wise and it adds persuasiveness to his words.” (Proverbs 16:23 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – March 19, 2019

Fred studied leadership his entire life. He read, but the majority of his study was through the in-depth observation of and conversation with true leaders. He used what he learned to operate as an outstanding leader in business and Christian work.

Fred’s great friend Harold Myra co-authored with Gary Chapman, and Paul White an outstanding book titled “Rising Above A Toxic Workplace: Taking Care of Yourself in an Unhealthy Environment.” It gives the reader confidence and hope.

Destructive Leadership

Almost every leader publicly espouses the line: “People are our greatest resource.” In my years of interaction with industry and ministry leaders I have found it not uncommon to find some who don’t really allow others to develop. Even the unintentional placing of obstacles retards the growth and development of others in their organization.

In thinking about it here are ten methods which hinder up and coming leadership:

1) Magnify the risk: “I know you want this job, but remember, if you fail, you are out!”

2) Minimize the reward: Instead of talking about the sheer joy of accomplishment, they emphasize the drudgery. “How does your spouse feel about your not coming home for dinner? There will be a lot of night work and weekend hours if you accept this new position.”

3) Create a threat: “How do you think you handle criticism? As a boss you will have to get over that. Everybody in this place and this position gets criticism from others.”

4) Show a lack of confidence: “I doubt you are really the right person, but we don’t have anybody else. Somebody needs to fill this position.”

5) Expect results too soon: “In a couple of weeks you ought to be on top of this job.”

6) Deny support: “I’m not going to be able to give you much help. You are just going to have to dive in and swim.”

7) Create an atmosphere of criticism: “You can’t do anything right. We really thought you had the talent for this position.”

8) Overstate the effort required: “You probably will have to get used to working weekends – and forget about a vacation this year. You will go home with a headache, a back ache and dread tomorrow, but that is the price we pay for leadership around here!”

9) Suggest peer rejection: “You’re not really a people person, are you? This job requires high people contact and team building. Even though it doesn’t look like a fit I am willing to give you a shot at it.”

10) Emphasize the pressure: “The last person in this job just couldn’t take the heat.”

Leaders who sabotage the growth of others create toxic environments. They create insecurity and unsettle potential leaders. No one wants to work for those who take all the credit and shift all the blame. Healthy organizations reflect institutionalized development and growth. Ego management requires all leaders to check all misdirected motivations, creating environments of truth and trust.

This week think about: 1) Have I ever discouraged another because I was insecure? 2) What is my strongest development strategy for emerging leaders? 3) How can I stay cognizant of these negative attitudes in my business, church, or family?

Words of Wisdom: “It is not uncommon to find leaders who don’t really allow others to develop.”

Wisdom from the Word: “Then the local people began to discourage the people of Judah and to dishearten them from building.” (Ezra 4:4 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – February 26, 2019

Fred thought in visuals, and translated those visuals into words so others could capture the ideas.  He often likened his process to the handle on a pot.  The purpose of the handle was to enable someone to safely and easily manipulate the pan.  He believed his ability to take complex thoughts and make them communicable was like putting a handle on them.

BWFLI is deepening the relationships with the colleges and universities with which we have partnered in the last 11 years.  We will be doing this through personal input, written materials, and campus visits.  Thank you for helping us in this crucial work.  Please pray with us each month.  Sign up for the prayer network and stand with us as we lift up our Christian institutions of higher learning.

Taking Care of Business

As I have said before, during the first weeks of each year I did in-depth evaluation of the prior year and planning for the new one.  One area was focused on my business.  I began this when I was a corporate executive looking at my management responsibilities.  And then when I began Fred Smith Associates in 1955 I continued the practice, deepening the considerations year by year.

I started by reviewing the past year, bringing forward any items which remained on the accomplishment list.  First, I looked at the organization’s personnel.  I wish back then I would have had Jim Collins’s visual metaphor of the bus: putting the right ones in the right seats and the wrong ones off the bus.  Without his picture, that is exactly what I did each year.

In organizations I was utilizing and maximizing strengths and buttressing weaknesses, trying to get extraordinary results from ordinary people.  I always made sure I had a few extraordinary people in key leadership positions.  My constant reminder was to make people decisions with my head, and not with my heart.  Of course, there is a healthy interplay between the two.  One thing I learned early on in owning my own business was to trust the counsel of a few talented, insightful individuals whose gifts were different from mine in making key personnel hires.  I found Mary Alice had an innate, impeccable ability to read character.  Therefore, any high level hires were always done with a candidate/spouse dinner with Mary Alice and me.  She could read people!

Next, I wrote a vision statement to guide the organization.  I reviewed, revised (when needed), and implemented the vision statement each year.  In this process I evaluated our corporation’s position relative to our competition, considering new services or new products.

Of course, I looked at cash flow and profit potential.  I took an overall look at capital requirements and budget items.  The facilities and equipment requirements were reviewed with an eye to any needed additions.  Technological changes are moving so rapidly it became a primary point of interest.  I also reviewed legal, accounting, and benefit plans.  I wanted to make sure we were meeting competitive standards.

Peter Drucker’s outstanding model of having efficiency at the bottom and effectiveness at the top was uppermost in the evaluation of my own performance.  I had two major channels: public speaking (then writing) and business ownership.  For years my personal measurement has been delegating everything from the “things that only I can do.”  Some of these were looked at as annual items, other as long range corporate culture ones.

Then, I looked at the potential for flexibility in the organization because surprises come and I never want to be at their mercy.

This week think about:  1) I am two months into 2019, how am I doing with my plan? 2) What are the things that “only I can do?” 3) Who is a good model for organizational planning?

Words of Wisdom: “For years my personal measurement has been delegating everything from the ‘things that only I can do.’”

Wisdom from the Word: “The Lord’s decisions stand forever; his plans abide throughout the ages.” (Psalm 33:11 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – October 16, 2018

Fred consistently studied human nature. He was invited to join high powered negotiation teams for his skills in discernment and communication. His grasp of human nature, as well as the nature of God, gave him an effective platform.

Planning is underway for the upcoming trip to Greenville University for the BWFLI sponsored What’s Next Roundtable. A team of men and women will engage students in conversations centered around mentoring, networking, and persevering. Pray with and for them. Your financial support is needed to finish out the year. Thank you for donating to the mission of “stretching and blessing the next generation of leaders… to the glory of God.”

Define The Base

Adler, the eminent psychiatrist, helped me with his observation that everyone is logical if you understand the base from which they operate. For example, if you were to go into the mental health facility and see a short man with his hat turned sideways, and his hand in his shirt you might assume he thinks he is Napoleon. Then, if you greeted him warmly with “Good morning, Napoleon,” and he acknowledges the greeting it would be perfectly logical. His base premise would be his identification as the French leader. Architecture gives us another example: the tower of Pisa. We all know it as the “leaning tower.” The building is absolutely square to itself – the base that is tilted.

I’ve had labor relations situations where this understanding has been extremely helpful. I was involved in an imminent strike situation in which the employees were determined to engage in a long, bitter strike. This would have resulted in catastrophic financial loss to the employees, but their minds were set.

I asked the negotiating lawyer if they mentioned the company’s making money from the strike. This assumption was mentioned more than any other complaint. The employees truly believed the company would benefit financially from a strike. “They repeat this more than anything else,” was his response. I recommended to the owner he call the employees together and explain to them in believable language the truth – the company was NOT going to profit from the threatened strike. The employees accepted his word and avoided the strike. When each party understood the basic operating premise, an environment for resolution could occur.

When an organization or individual differed with me, I used to assume they were unreasonable. But when I started practicing this principle of logical premise, it made a big difference. I started looking for their base. It was an effective change in my thinking.

As a parent I was given the opportunity to practice this regularly. When I couldn’t make sense of a child’s decision and was tempted to strongly challenge them, I stopped to say “What is their operating base?” I can’t say I always took the time to work this out before reacting to what I saw was foolishness, but I got better. We see this so very often in the political arena. We see our politicians pushing and pulling in a seeming illogical manner. When we stop to analyze the premise of each argument, we can more often understand their position. It doesn’t mean we have to agree, but we can create a ground for communication.

Logic is an outgrowth of the operating system. Properly understand the base and you will understand the logic. It may not be a pleasant behavior, but it follows the underlying assumption.

This week think about: 1) Who seems illogical to me that might serve as a learning lab? 2) What assumptions are part of my operating system that confuse others? 3) When do I expect understanding to result in agreement?

Words of Wisdom: “Properly understand the base and you will understand the logic.”

Wisdom from the Word: “He has filled him with the Spirit of God—with skill, with understanding, with knowledge, and in all kinds of work,” (Exodus 35:31 NET Bible)

Weekly Thought – October 9, 2018

Fred’s support of the local church, Christian ministries, and particularly spiritual leaders began early in his life as the son of a Southern Baptist pastor. He taught his family to provide friendship, guidance, and support to vocational Christians. Serving on numerous national boards, several as chair, gave him an opportunity to use his gifts of wisdom and discernment to further the Kingdom. He was known as one who spoke unvarnished truth. It was always with no personal agenda, but with concern for the welfare of the organization. These words from the late 1980s are absolute on target today.

A Flexibility Born of Faith

As I think about spiritual leadership, I become convinced the key is the Holy Spirit’s energizing and directing the leader’s uniqueness and gifts by giving him or her a vision that creates a passion. I have never known a lazy or confused leader who had a clear sense of passion.

For twenty years I’ve been writing for Christian leaders. I’ve spoken to many groups, large and small. I realize it is a difficult time to be a Christian leader in an almost totally secular society. There is renewed interest in spirituality which is cultish, not Christian.

Faith-based leaders have lost much of the respect hey once had in society. Burnout is common. Depression is almost epidemic. And stress is exploding. Immorality and divorce rates are increasing within the faith community. Short tenure in the pastorate and ministry leadership is too common. More and more preachers and teachers are faced with the demand for entertainment in their message and excitement in their programs.

Could a major part of the problem be that leaders have lost their vital identification with the Lord? Have they become convinced they work for the church rather than for God? Those who feel they work for a church board surrender their authority in spiritual leadership.

I believe there is a flexibility in spiritual leadership that is based on faith in God’s provision and direction. It is a calling, not a career. I have great respect for a prominent minister who privately says, ‘I would be glad to get out of the ministry if God would let me off the hook. In fact, if He doesn’t keep me in, I would be out.” His calling from God wasn’t a business decision – it was an “I can do no other” response to God’s call.

It is possible, even probable, that some in Christian leadership are misplaced. Leaders who are not endowed with gifts energized by the Spirit become easy prey to the human methodology of leadership. This opens them to the temptation of power, prestige, and money.

Those who operate from a gifted calling seem to have a flexibility born of faith. They didn’t manipulate their way into leadership, nor do they play politics to remain there. They have a calling to fulfill, not a profession to pursue. They have a strong feeling of stewardship but little feeling of ownership. Their greatness is in serving; they joy is in Kingdom work.

This week think about: 1) Who do I know in ministry who needs my encouragement? 2) What can I do to stand behind my pastor? 3) How can I strengthen my own vision and passion for the Kingdom?

Words of Wisdom: “Those who feel they work for a church board surrender their authority in spiritual leadership.”

Wisdom from the Word: “You must follow the LORD your God and revere only him; and you must observe his commandments, obey him, serve him, and remain loyal to him.” (Deuteronomy 13:4 NET Bible)