Are leaders made or born? Is it nurture or nature? In the secular world, the debate rages. From the Bible we know that it is both.
Jeremiah 1:5 plainly states that the prophet was known by God and called to his ministry prior to conception in the womb of his mother. While subject to debate, most will agree that this principle can be extended to everyone who serves the Lord. Let me duck any clashes over abortion or predestination here by focussing on one assertion: if the high and holy calling of prophet is of such great concern to Yahweh that He locks it up prior to someone's birth, it's no great stretch to say He probably feels the same about the call to lead His people.
In that sense, then, leaders are born -- it's a matter of nature. I am not in a position to say that everyone whom God chooses as a leader of His people goes on to lead them. That's not the point. It's that those who do lead are inevitably born to it by God's choice. At this point it's not a discussion about the leaders but about the God who chose them and made them.
Yet, as with any talent, it's always much better when trained than in the raw. In that sense, leaders are made. We most often see the term "leadership development" in the military or in some industries. Given that we so often compare serving God with serving in the military, genuine leadership training is easily adapted to Christian leadership training. Sadly, there is little in today's military that encourages genuine leadership. It's no secret that the US Army has become so much the domain of managers that leadership is seldom in evidence.
Obviously, we are going to have to define the difference. By it's nature, leadership is the capacity to inspire others to follow. A very critical element in this inspiring is that following a particular leader brings agreeable results. There is a certain pride in accomplishment associated with following that leader. For the follower it becomes honorable to be included in theUntitled leader's doings. It's as if the followers become valued extensions of the leader's person, and there is a shared glory.
Further, there is a sense that the leader is taking on tasks that are worthy, and they are done in a worthy manner. Of course, it is the nature of military leadership that the tasks nearly always come down from above. Often these tasks are hardly enobling in themselves. Part of a leader's job is to make it seem important and noble. And upon completion, such as it may be, it includes taking pride in owning the results.
Military manuals which attempt to define leadership are littered with hackneyed terms: professionalism, candor, expertise, skill, competence, etc. Like the inflated verbiage spewed out during award presentations -- awards given too often and too lightly -- they have lost their meaning long ago. Those who want promotions quickly discover the hidden message: "Above all, don't mess up. Follow procedures meticulously so that none can fault you afterwards." This, when the true leaders of yesteryear demonstrated a keen ability to discern when to shed procedures that didn't meet the situation, handling things with bold creativity.
Those who led in that fashion generally exhibited a certain quality, regardless of their individual personalities. When a leader walks into a situation where they are needed, it's usually obvious very quickly that they are a leader. They are able to convince you that they see the light at the end of the tunnel, and are prepared to take responsibility for getting everyone there. They are able to balance their focus between the mission and the method without confusing the two. Furthermore, they inspire a minimum of dispute, and seem to be genuinely concerned with the welfare of all. In other words, you will want to follow them.
Ed Hurst
23 September 2002
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