Good vs. Great leadership

Author and church consultant Bill Easum wrote an interesting column in the September/October issue of Rev. Magazine about the difference between good leading and great leading.

Here are a few of the distinctions he makes:

• Good leaders are born good leaders, but great leaders are shaped in the trenches.
• Good leaders work with the cards they are dealt. Great leaders challenge the prevailing rules about how to conduct ministry. They are never content with the status quo and always have a holy discontent about the way things are. They know that man-made rules are made to be broken because there's always a better way.
• Good leaders make sense of the moment, but are often too busy. Great leaders read the signs of the times.
• Great leaders are willing to "ready, fire, aim" while good leaders always want to have everything in place before they fire. Great leaders are always laying it on the line, stepping out where most people fear to go.
• Good leaders delegate ministry to others. Great leaders empower others.
• Good leaders accomplish more. Great leaders Great leaders know their success doesn't depend on them but on how they inspire others to achieve.
• Great leaders define leadership differently than good leaders: Leadership isn't about getting people to do what you want them to do, but is helping people achieve what God created them to be and do.
• Good leaders act as players. Great leaders act more as scouts and coaches.
• Great leaders surround themselves with good leaders, while good leaders surround themselves with people of lesser skills.

The line between good and great leading is thin and dynamic.
I have a lot to learn from what Easum wrote.

Comments

[DougG]

JR,

It would be nice if someone currently on the national stage (Warren, Hybels, Stanley, etc.) would suddenly realize this has not been the "golden age of Christian Leadership" and that they have just re-invented/packaged the business principles tried in various ministries during the 80s (which crippled some ministries for years).
Kind of reminds me of Saul's Israel; if you really dig into his leadership (and then interaction with David) it was absolutely horrible (and can probably track to today's issues facing the church and the sub-standard leadership trying to deal with them.) A quick look at even 1 Sam 17 gives so much insight into this; to me, it's more about Saul's Israel than a little shepherd boy (forgotten and overlooked by even his family) tossing rocks. Regards, DougG