Principles of leadership gary petty by Corny Poems Inc.

PRINCIPLES OF LEADERSHIP By Gary Petty

TABLE OF CONTENTS LEADERSHIP LESSONS 1. Discipleship 2. Purpose 3. Vision 4. Mission 5. Servanthood 6. Example 7. Preparation 8. Jethro’s Three Step Plan 9. Share the Credit 10. Dealing with Conflict 11. Paul’s Example 12. Emotional Intelligence 13. A Trustworthy Messenger 14. Problem Solving POINTS OF PRESENTATION 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Character Counts Know Your Audience How People Learn Physical Delivery Adding Interest Being Relevant and Current

LEADERSHIP LESSON 1: DISCIPLESHIP John Maxwell, in The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, tells of Abraham Lincoln’s early experience at leading others. In 1832, young Lincoln formed a company of militia to fight in the Black Hawk War. He obtained the rank of captain, but struggled with basic concepts of command. On one occasion, the future president was leading a couple dozen men through a field and came to a fence. He couldn’t figure out what commands to issue so he ordered the company to fall out for two minutes and reform on the other side of the gate. Other men with leadership abilities came to the forefront and the soldiers, with scalps at stake, naturally followed them. By the end of the war Abraham Lincoln found himself a private in the company he started. It is important to recognize that Lincoln, even with all his abilities and wisdom, couldn’t be a leader of others until he had developed leadership skills. He would struggle through a number of endeavors: shopkeeper, lawyer and politician, to eventually develop those skills that would enable him to lead the United States in one of its greatest times of crisis. Points to build on Leadership and managerial gurus present dozens of definitions that run the gamut from one sentence to book length. John Maxwell sums it up in one word, “Leadership is influence-nothing more, nothing less.” (John C. Maxwell, The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, p. 17). Influence is simply the ability to affect others. Influence isn’t dependent upon position. We’ve all known of someone with position who exerts little influence over the development of others. We also all know of teams, business and congregations that have been helped or hindered due to the efforts of people without position who exert a great deal of positive or negative influence. When Jesus walked the earth He chose 12 men to be the disciples who would exert leadership with the other disciples--12 men who were remarkable in the fact that they were so unremarkable. Not one was an important political figure, man of great wealth, or individual of visible social standing. Simon Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John, and Philip were all fishermen before they became disciples of Jesus. Matthew was a tax collector, a despised vocation in the eyes of Jewish society. Simon the Zealot was probably a political fanatic. Almost nothing is known of the background of the other five. Disciple, Greek mathetes, means, “a learner...denotes one who follows one’s teaching. A ‘disciple’ was not only a pupil, but an adherent; hence they are spoken of as imitators of their teacher.” (W.E. Vine, Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, 1985). A Christian leader’s effectiveness in influencing people to follow Christ is directly related to his personal imitation of the Teacher.

Application When we look at Jesus’ interaction with His disciples, we see that He was not only teacher but mentor. Not only did He instruct them about God and life, He shared life with them showing by example how God wanted them to live. The New Testament Church has numerous examples of disciples who became mentors to others. Barnabas was a mentor to Paul and John Mark; Aquila and Priscilla were mentors to Apollos, Paul was a mentor to Timothy and Philemon. In their examples we find inspiration of obedience, patience in suffering and persecution, overcoming of sin, and proof that God was working in them. The famous Scottish writer, Thomas Carlyle, once received a letter from a young man asking: “Mr. Carlyle, I wish to be a teacher. Will you tell me the secret of successful teaching?” Carlyle wrote back, “Be what you would have your pupils be. All other teaching is unblessed.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON 2: PURPOSE Jesus told a parable of a rich man who had become so wealthy that he didn’t have enough storage for his crops. The rich man decided to tear down his barns and build larger ones. He then said to himself, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years; take you ease; eat drink and be merry.” Jesus continues, “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This night your soul will be required of you; then whose will those things be which you have provided? So is he who lays up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God” (Luke 12:16-21). Planning for the future is an important aspect of success. Helping others establish goals and working together to achieve those goals is the function of leadership. It is important to be mindful that a person can be materially successful and even a good leader, yet not be a Christian leader. In this parable Jesus makes the point that physical goals become meaningless unless put into the context of a greater purpose of life. Points to build on In his best seller The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey talks about the importance of setting goals in a broader sense than we find in most books on success. He recommends that a person visualize his own funeral and what people say about him. He calls this beginning “with the end in mind.” It is easy to become focused on what you must accomplish today, or the stresses of this week and go through life without an overall guiding purpose. However, immediate decisions become easier to make when we have a clear picture of the end goal. An effective Christian leader must first have God’s end in mind. In another situation Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” “For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works” (Matthew 16:24-28). You can’t be an effective Christian leader in your community, congregation, workplace or family until you have first established long-term spiritual goals that culminate in the Kingdom of God. These long-term spiritual goals will then shape your leadership abilities and opportunities.

Application Take some time off by yourself to consider your epitaph. This will help you consider what is really important in life and help you prioritize your time. Spend time in prayer, Bible study and fasting seeking God’s purpose in your life. The life of every human being has God-ordained meaning and purpose. Let your Father help you define what He wants for you in your life and the future He has in store for you in His Kingdom. Consciously apply God’s purpose for you in every decision you make. When you begin to do this, you will find many more opportunities to have a positive influence on others. Remember, you can’t exercise effective Christian leadership until you are first allowing Christ to lead you.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 3: VISION An unforgettable aspect of the twenty-one mile boat ride to Catalina Island off the California coast are the sharks. This makes Florence Chadwick’s attempt to swim the Catalina Channel on July 4, 1952, even more amazing. At thirty-four years old Chadwick had already conquered the English Channel and was in great condition. This day was extremely foggy, the water of the Catalina Channel icy cold, and soon Chadwick was suffering from numbness. Several times they had to drive off sharks with gun fire. She strained to see the coast, but the fog made it impossible. After nearly sixteen hours, struggling with the feeling that the distance was too great, she climbed into a boat. It was heart breaking when she found out that the shoreline was only a halfmile away. Chadwick told reporters that it was the fog that had caused her to become discouraged. She could handle the fatigue, cold and danger of sharks, but not being able to see her destination was disheartening. Two months later Florence Chadwick set out again to swim the Catalina Channel. She confronted all the same elements, including the fog, but she visualized her goal and completed the swim beating the men’s record by two hours. Many times it isn’t the trials of life that defeat us. It’s the fog. It is the ability to visualize beyond the fog that we call mental vision. Points to build on Donald T. Phillips in The Founding Fathers on Leadership writes: “Just as a skilled craftsman envisions a finished product, a creative leader usually has a pretty good idea of where he wants to go before acting or attempting to inspire others to act. As such, vision is at the heart of leadership. For every person who sees, thousands may think, millions may act.” “Effective visions provide context, give purpose, and establish meaning. They inspire people to mobilize and move in the same direction. And once an accepted vision is implemented, a consensus builds that often results in enhanced understanding of the organization’s overall goal.” (The Founding Fathers on Leadership, 1997, p. 31.) Management consultant and author Glenn Van Ekeren puts it this way: “Your vision describes the ideal future for you to attain. It provides meaning and direction while forcing you to break through present limitations. Holding a clear picture in your mind of the desired future will mobilize your creative efforts and generate the desire and energy to perform” “Vision then is quite simply a mental picture of what tomorrow will look like. Sometime ago, I read an advertisement by Shearon/Lehman Brothers that beautifully, yet simply, defined vision and its impact. The ad read: ‘Vision is having the acute sense of the possible. It is seeing what others don’t see. And when those of similar vision are drawn together, something extraordinary occurs.’” (Speaker’s Sourcebook II, 1995, p. 378.) Without a clear vision of why they exist, groups can deteriorate into competing factions.

Application The Israelites stood on the threshold of the promised land. A year earlier they were slaves in Egypt. God had destroyed the greatest nation on earth through a series of miraculous events and saved Israel by opening the Red Sea. Since then, He had supernaturally given them manna to eat, supplied water to drink and led them with a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Moses was told to send twelve spies into Cannan to spy out the land. Notice God’s instructions in Numbers 13:1-2: “And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Send men to spy out the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.’” These men weren’t chosen because they were graduates of an Israeli spy school, but because they were leaders in the tribes and their report would have credibility among the people. The twelve returned after forty days. We pick up the report of ten of the spies in Numbers 13:27: “We went to the land where you sent us. It truly flows with milk and honey, and this is its fruit. Nevertheless the people who dwell in the land are strong; the cities are fortified and very large; moreover we saw the descendants of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; the Hittites, the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and along the banks of the Jordan.’” “Then Caleb quieted the people before Moses, and said, ‘Let us go up at once and take possession, for we are well able to overcome it.’” ‘But the men who had gone up with him said, ‘We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we.’” “And they gave the children of Israel a bad report of the land which they had spied out, saying, ‘The land through which we have gone as spies is a land that devours its inhabitants, and all the people whom we saw in it are men of great stature. There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” “So all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried, and the people wept that night. And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, ‘If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness! Why has the LORD brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?’” Because ten leaders lacked God’s vision the Israelites become discouraged and begin to blame God for ruining their lives. Remember, a little over a year before they had been slaves enduring harsh lives with no hope of freedom. God miraculously brought them to the threshold of His promise, but they lost their vision, not only of the future promised land, but they also lost sight of

what God had already done for them. With no past context, and only a vision of tomorrow’s problems, they abandoned their present mission. God’s response to Israel’s refusal to accept their mission was to condemn them to forty years of wandering in the wilderness until the adult generation died. The promised land would go to their descendants. Which leads us to another ingredient of vision. Without this ingredient a vision is a dream with no possibility of personal reality. The Israelites didn’t have the faith to commit to paying the full price of the promised land. Vision without faith is truly an empty specter, a sketch on canvas with no substance. Charles R. Swindoll gives insight into the differences between the ten spies and Caleb and Joshua in Living Above the Level of Mediocrity: “Now, I ask you, how can intelligent men look at the same scene so differently? The answer is not difficult: two have vision, determination, and dreams; the other ten do not. It’s that simple. That story is an illustration of life. We spend our years facing the very same dichotomy. To make things even more complicated, those who don’t have vision or determination, and refuse to dream the impossible, are always in the majority. Therefore, they will always take the vote. They will always outshout and outnumber those who walk by faith and not by sight, those who are seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness...” “Ten saw the problem; two saw the solution. Ten saw the obstacles; two saw the answers. Ten were impressed with the size of the men; two were impressed with the size of their God. Ten focused on what could not be accomplished; two focused on what could easily be accomplished by the power of God.” (Above the Level of Mediocrity, 1987, p. 100.)

LEADERSHIP LESSON 4: MISSION Many Christians have been inspired by the apostle Paul’s striving against all odds to preach the gospel to the ends of the Roman Empire. Along the way he faced persecution, shipwreck, hunger, angry mobs and prison, and he fought wild animals in the arena. In a letter to the church at Philippi Paul summarizes his approach to his life’s mission: “…if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.” “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead. I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind…” (Philippians 3:11-15). The apostle Paul is an inspiring example of a man driven by a mission. Like all leaders who achieve successful missions he was inspired by a vision of the future. Points to build on Leaders inspire others by creating a shared vision. Paul was inspired by a clear vision of the Kingdom of God and he communicated that vision to others. In the first three chapters of his letter to the Philippians, the apostle expounds upon his sufferings and then communicates the vision that motivated his life. Notice the clarity of his vision in Philippians 3:20-21: “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Leaders mobilize others by creating a shared mission. Paul’s letter to the Philippians is filled with admonishment for them to be inspired by a shared vision of the purpose of Christ to prepare His disciples for the Kingdom of God. This shared “mind” was to be their motivation to live a shared mission of having the work of Christ accomplished in them and doing the work of Christ in the world. Philippians 1:6: “…being confident in this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ…” Philippians 1:27: “Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ…that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel.” Philippians 2:2: “…fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.” Philippians 2:5: “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”

Philippians 3:16: “…let us walk by the same rule, let us be of the same mind.” People willingly sacrifice and suffer in the present if they understand the rewards of the future. Paul wrote his letter to the Philippians while in Roman imprisonment. He’d lost his previous status in Judaism, given up physical possessions to travel the Roman world preaching the gospel and had now lost his freedom. Paul’s response to the loss of all these things? Philippians 3:7-8 (NIV): “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ…” Paul discovered great meaning and purpose in his suffering because his vision and mission consumed him. Application An effective leader must first have a vision of what is to be accomplished and communicate that vision. He must then mobilize people in making that vision the motivating force of a shared mission. When people have to suffer or sacrifice for the mission, it is important that a leader revitalizes the vision and reminds them of the shared mission.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 5: SERVANTHOOD When discussing leadership with His disciples Jesus said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:25-28). “Servant leadership” has become a buzz phrase in churches, business and non-profit organizations. Everyone seems to think it’s a good idea, but getting consensus on an exact definition is difficult. When discussing leadership in a biblical context a more accurate term is “godly leadership.” Godly leadership is an attitude of motivation based in personal character, not a management technique. Godly leadership is an approach to life based upon constant growth in knowledge, understanding and wisdom. When a leader thinks he’s perfected servant leadership, it means he’s missed something. Maybe Max DePree says it best in Leadership Is An Art: “Leadership is an art, something to be learned over time, not simply by reading books. Leadership is more tribal than scientific, more a weaving of relationships than an amassing of information, and, in that sense, I don’t know how to pin it down in every detail... Leadership is much more an art, a belief, a condition of the heart, than a set of things to do. The visible signs of artful leadership are expressed, ultimately, in its practice.” (1989, p. 3, 148.) Points to build on Godly leadership is still leadership. There are two proverbial ditches servant leaders must navigate. One is to equate godly leadership with democracy. In this scenario the leader treats those he leads like political constituents and bends to their desires like a politician responding to the latest opinion poll. Participatory administration requires consensus and allowing others to participate in the decision-making process, but this doesn’t mean that the leader abdicates his responsibility or accountability to do what is right. Max DePree writes in Leadership Is An Art: “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor...” (Ibid, p. 11.) Robert K. Greenleaf explains it this way, “The servant-leader is servant first... It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. The conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. That person is one who is sharply different than one who is leader first, perhaps because of a need to assuage an unusual power drive or to acquire material possessions.” (Servant Leadership, 1977, p. 13.)

The other ditch is to equate leadership with management. Managers follow timetables, implement policies and are always concerned with efficiency. While godly leaders are also concerned with proper management, and are mindful of the apostle Paul’s declaration that God isn’t the author of confusion, they are more concerned with how management accomplishes both vision and mission. Servant leadership is relational. It is important to remember DePree’s comment that “leadership is more tribal than scientific.” DePree goes on to say, “The goal of thinking hard about leadership is not to produce great or charismatic or well-known leaders...The signs of outstanding leadership appear primarily among the followers. Are the followers reaching their potential? Are they learning? Serving? Do they achieve the required results? Do they change with grace? Manage conflict?.” (p. 11-12.) Servant leadership is sacrificial. Jesus uses Himself as the example when he said to those who would become the first apostles of the Church, “And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave; just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” It’s vital that a leader nurtures his private life and makes time for personal renewal. But he also knows that when he makes the needs of the people he serves a priority in his life, he gives up a certain control over his time. We can now construct a definition of leadership from a Christian viewpoint. By definition it must first be Christian which means that the leader is dedicated to serving Christ (discipleship). A Christian servant leader is dedicated to defining reality, or standing for the truth (vision and integrity), and dedicated to sharing truth with others (mission). A godly is concerned with developing people, not just accomplishing tasks (relational). This definition is the foundation of success in business, family, congregation and in our personal lives. Application This concept of godly leadership can be applied to being a husband and father or having responsibilities at work or at church. The godly leader tries to influence others in accordance with a vision and mission shaped by spiritual principles. He values people above tasks. And he is willing to sacrifice of his time and resources for the benefit of those he leads.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 6: THE POWER OF EXAMPLE On the night of His betrayal Jesus took a basin and washed the disciples’ feet. This job was usually done by guests themselves with water provided by servants. Peter tried to restrain Jesus from the lowly duty of washing his feet. When Jesus finished, He turned to them and said, “Do you know what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:12-17). Jesus could just as easily have commanded His disciples to continue this tradition, but instead He led them by example. Points to build on A good leader leads first by example. The old adage still rings true: a good leader won’t ask his followers to undertake a task he isn’t willing to do himself or hasn’t already modeled through example. Children learn behavior by mimicking the behavior of adults and other children. One of the most important ways a father can fulfill his role as leader of the family is to model right behavior for his children. This principle applies to any leadership opportunity. The apostle Paul wrote a letter to a minister named Titus, giving him instructions on how to lead a congregation. He first told Titus that he had to teach, which would be done through both private and public speaking: “But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things-that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise exhort the young men to be sober-minded” (Titus 2:1-6). After explaining to Titus the conduct he should teach to those in his care, Paul explains the most important aspect of being a good teacher, “…in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you” (Titus 2:7-8). This doesn’t mean that a teacher, leader, manager or father must create an unbearable illusion of perfection in order to be effective. The more you try to put on an act of infallibility the more relationship barriers you build. People are willing to learn from a speaker, teacher or leader as long as they see him as someone who is striving to live by what he teaches.

Application Jesus’ example of leadership is based on the principle of leading by example. Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” Model your life by whatever you teach, and your words and actions will be magnified in power and influence.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 7: PREPARATION In Rudy Giuliani’s book Leadership, he admonishes any organization to create a “culture of preparedness.” The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi said, “Practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.” Quarterback Roger Staubach, who led the Dallas Cowboys during an era when they were one of the most successful football teams of all time said, “In business or in football, it takes a lot of unspectacular preparation to produce spectacular results.” It is easy to see success of another as a husband, father, or a leader in business or service and conclude that success is a product of chance or circumstances. The reality is that success in leadership roles takes the same processes as success in any endeavor. One of the most important of these processes is preparation. Points to build on Ezra is one of the great leaders mentioned in the Old Testament. He was used by God to mobilize and motivate the Jews returning from captivity. The Persians allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem to begin rebuilding the city and the Temple. After the dedication of the new Temple, King Artaxerxes sent a priest and scribe named Ezra to reestablish the worship of God. Ezra doesn’t just burst on the scene because of chance or circumstances. He had spent his life in Babylon preparing for the opportunity that was now presented to him. Two lessons from the life of Ezra: A leader must be prepared in his mind. Ezra 7:6: “…this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given.” Successful leaders are lifelong learners. They are always growing in knowledge, understanding and wisdom. Knowledge is the learning of information. Understanding is the ability to discern what is important and true. Wisdom is the ability to practically apply knowledge and understanding. Leadership includes developing an understanding of people—how they think and feel. A successful leader is also always looking for ways to share that knowledge, understanding and wisdom with others. A leader must be prepared in his heart. Ezra 7:10: “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statues and ordinances in Israel.”

Preparation of the heart—the development of humility, compassion and dedication to seek and do truth—are all qualities a Christian leader is to develop before he can be an effective leader. Application It takes dedication of time and effort in preparation to become a better leader at work, in your congregation, and in your family. Set aside some time every day to further your education through Bible study and reading of books on family and leadership. Look for opportunities to learn through conversations with others who are successful in family, service, and leadership. Set aside some time every day to prepare your heart through prayer and asking God to develop in you humility, compassion for others, and a spirit of obedience to His ways. Set aside regular time to meditate on God’s way and how to apply the knowledge you learn in developing understanding and wisdom.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 8: JETHRO’S THREE STEP PLAN God had prepared Moses for the leadership task of leading millions of slaves out of captivity. Moses spent his first 40 years of life being educated in the royal house of Pharaoh. He then spent the next 40 years as a shepherd learning to walk humbly with God. Once the Israelites were out of Egypt, Moses found himself in an overwhelming situation. Every day masses of people came to him for advice and for judgements in disputes. Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, visited and saw what was happening. We pick up the story in Exodus 18:13-18: “And so it was, on the next day, that Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood before Moses from morning until evening. “So when Moses’ father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, ‘What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit, and all the people stand before you from morning until evening?’ “And Moses said to his father-in-law, ‘Because the people come to me to inquire of God. When they have a difficulty, they come to me, and I judge between one and another; and I make known the statutes of God and His laws.’ “So Moses’ father-in-law said to him, ‘The thing that you do is not good. Both you and these people who are with you will surely wear yourselves out. For this thing is too much for you; you are not able to perform it by yourself.’” Moses’ responsibilities had changed from inspirational leader mobilizing people and standing up to Pharaoh, to teacher and administrator. Yet he was still trying to apply the old leadership style and methods. Moses was on a burnout course that would also lead to the burnout of the people. He had to learn that new challenges required new methods. Points to build on Jethro gave Moses three steps in rising to the new challenges and avoiding burnout: Take the issues to God. Exodus 18:19: “Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you: Stand before God for the people, so that you may bring the difficulties to God.” It is easy to take personal problems to God, but when was the last time you took the trials and concerns of your wife and children to God? When was the last time you prayed for the success of a business client? When was the last time you prayed for your boss or the elders in your congregation? A good leader takes the difficulties of others to God. Teach the people the laws and principles. Exodus 18:20: “And you shall teach them the statutes and the laws, and show them the way in which they must walk and the work they must do.”

It’s a cliché that’s so true: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. The more Moses taught the people the statues and laws of God, the more they would be able to judge issues for themselves. Delegate to other able leaders. Exodus 18:21-22: “Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. And let them judge the people at all times. Then it will be that every great matter they shall bring to you, but every small matter they themselves shall judge. So it will be easier for you, for they will bear the burden with you.” Moses was to find other leaders who met specific qualifications: they had to fear God, be men of truth and hate covetousness. These men could then be trained in applying God’s law in leading the people. Jethro understood that if Moses continued in his present methods of leadership neither he nor the people would have peace. He says in verse 23, “‘If you do this thing, and God so commands you, then you will be able to endure, and all this people will also go to their place in peace.’” Moses considered the advice of his father-in-law and instituted his three-point plan: “So Moses heeded the voice of his father-in-law and did all that he had said. And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens. So they judged the people at all times; the hard cases they brought to Moses, but they judged every small case themselves” (Exodus 18:24-26). Application When leadership requires teaching and administration apply Jethro’s three steps: First, take people’s issues to God. Secondly, teach the people the laws and principles they need to know. Here a leader must also remember to supply vision and mission, the “why we must do this” and then the “what we must do.” Finally, find and train able leaders and delegate to them both responsibility and authority.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 9: SHARE THE CREDIT During the time recorded in the era of Israel’s Judges, God freed the Israelites from Midianite oppression through the leadership of Gideon. God deliberately whittled Gideon’s army to only 300 men and then has them attack the occupying army numbering in the tens of thousands. The Midianites broke and fled with the exhausted Israelites in pursuit. The invaders flight took then through the territory of the tribe of Ephraim. Gideon sent messengers to the leaders of Ephraim asking them to seize the river crossings and cut off the escape routes. The Ephraimites seized the crossings, killed many Midianites and capture some generals. We pick up what happened next in Judges 8:1, “Now the men of Ephraim said to him, ‘Why have you done this to us by not calling us when you whet to fight with the Midianites?’ And they reprimanded him sharply.” Gideon would have been correct in explaining to the Ephraimites that it was God who chose the size of his army. He could have responded with understandable anger at their ungratefulness at being saved from Midianite oppression. Instead Gideon declared, “What have I done now in comparison with you?” and commended their accomplishment at capturing the Midianite generals. With this wise answer, the Ephraimites’ anger dissipated and confrontation was avoided. Gideon had learned to share the credit. Points to build on Share the credit. This anonymous poem captures the power of acknowledging the contributions and efforts of others. A Short Course in Human Relations The six most important words: I admit that I was wrong. The five most important words: You did a great job. The four most important words: What do you think? The three most important words: Could you please… The two most important words: Thank you. The most important word: We. The least important word: I.

The quickest way to sap energy and destroy desire to contribute from employees or volunteers is to make them feel that their contribution is meaningless. Mark Twain captured this human need to be appreciated for contribution when he said, “I can live for two months on one good compliment.” Flattering people in order to have them like you is an empty pit that can never be filled. Acknowledging the work and true effort of others empowers them to work harder and produce more. Insincere commendation eventually destroys the credibility of the flatterer. Application Always look for ways to give credit where credit is due. Remember the ancient Chinese proverb that the mark of a good leader is when the goal is reached everyone says, “We did it ourselves.”

LEADERSHIP LESSON 10: DEALING WITH CONFLICT Maybe you’ve heard the story of the four men named Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. It seems there was an important job to be done, and Everybody was asked to do it. Everybody was sure than Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, and Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody, when actually Nobody did what Anybody could have done. One of the most difficult tasks of a leader is dealing with conflict. Anytime a person is involved in influencing others conflict will arise. Points to build on An uncommon trait that is important for an effective leader is the art of being tactful. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines tact as “the delicate perception of the right thing to say or do without offending.” Learn the art of the “soft answer.” Proverbs 15:1: says, “A soft word turns away wrath. but a harsh word stirs up anger.” There is a well-known story of black educator Booker T. Washington. Not long after he become president of Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, he was walking in an exclusive part of town when a white woman asked if he would like to make some money chopping wood. Washington took on the chore, chopped the wood, and carried it into the house. It was there that the woman’s daughter recognized him and the next day the embarrassed woman showed up at his office to apologize. Washington is reported to have replied that he enjoyed doing manual labor and doing favors for friends. His humility impressed the woman so much that she became instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for Tuskegee Institute. Strive to understand the other person’s viewpoint. You seldom convince a person to your side until you understand why they’ve taken their position. In order to reach the peoples of the diverse cultures of the Roman Empire the apostle Paul said that he had to “become all things to all men.” “For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have

become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. Now this I do for the gospel’s sake, that I might be partaker of it with you.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Stephen Covey writes in Principle Centered Leadership, “Perhaps the most powerful principle of all human interaction: genuinely seeking to understand another deeply before being understood in return. At the root of all interpersonal problems is a failure to thoroughly understand each other. The actual disagreements of substance are magnified and compounded by our inability to see the world not only through another’s eyes, but also through his or her mind and heart. We misunderstand and therefore mistrust motives, points of view—we are so ego-invested in advancing our own ideas, defending our position, attacking contrary opinion, judging, evaluating, probing and questioning—that we normally listen with the intent not to understand but to respond.” (Principle Centered Leadership, Stephen Covey, 1991 p. 272.) When you have to confront someone pick the time, place, and choice of words carefully. Queen Esther is one of the greatest examples of graceful tact. Forced to marry a despotic Persian king, she made the best of the situation. When a plot to destroy the Jews was uncovered, she knew that to save her people she would have to confront her husband with the fact that his top aid, Haman, was plotting genocide against the Jews. Esther was taking a great risk because no one could come before the king unless he granted permission. Also, she would have to reveal herself as a Jew and risk extinction with her people. Esther prepared herself for the conflict by first seeking God’s will (Esther 4:15-16). She then faced the king with such grace and humility that he responded to her influence. The result is that the conspiracy to destroy the Jewish people was quashed (Esther 5:1-7:10). Seek the good in the other person before you criticize. This means that sometimes we have to be willing to overlook other person’s wrong behavior, and even our own hurt feelings, for the good of the other person. This doesn’t mean that we are to dish out vain flattery or try to deceive someone by pretending the conflict doesn’t exist. It’s just that honest acknowledgement of a person’s effort can go a long way in helping them be receptive. An example of praise before criticizing is a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to General Joseph Hooker on April 26, 1863. The Union army had suffered defeat after defeat because of inept leadership. General Hooker had publicly denounced the president’s war policies. If Lincoln had followed his personal feelings he would have dismissed Hooker, but thousands of Union troops were deserting, and he knew he had to handle the situation with tact. Here is the letter he wrote to General Hooker (as reproduced in How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnage, 1964, p. 173): “I have placed you at the head of the Army of the Potomac. Of course, I have done this on what appears to me to be sufficient reasons, and yet I think it best for you to know that there are some

things in regard to which I am not quite satisfied with you.” “I believe you to be a brave and skillful soldier, which, of course, I like. I also believe you do not mix politics with your profession, in which you are right. You have confidence in yourself, which is a valuable if not an indispensable quality.” “You are ambitious, which, within reasonable bounds, does good rather than harm. But I think that during General Burnside’s command of the army you have taken counsel of your ambition and thwarted him as much as you could, in which you did a great wrong to this country and to a most meritorious and honorable brother officer.” “I have heard, in such a way as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the army and the Government need a dictator. Of course, it was not for this, but in spite of this, that I have given you command.” “Only those generals who gain successes can set up as dictators. What I now ask of you is a military success and I will risk the dictatorship.” “The Government will support you to the utmost of its ability, which is neither more or less than it has done and will do for all commanders. I much fear that the spirit which you have aided to infuse into the army, of criticizing their commander and withholding confidence from him, will now turn upon you. I shall assist you, as far as I can, to put it down.” “Neither you nor Napoleon, if he were alive again, could any good out of an army while such spirit prevails in it, and now beware of rashness. Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories.” Hooker failed as the commander of the army, but Lincoln avoided an insurrection among his troops. Like Lincoln, when engaged in confrontation, appeal to good motives. Try to create solutions that benefit all involved. In The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen Covey calls this “win-win” solutions. Effectively dealing with conflict is more than learning how to compromise. If a person is in a perpetual state of compromise he will eventually become disillusioned and discouraged. Look to work with the person to create new solutions that benefit all involved. Application Before dealing with conflict review Christ’s instructions in Matthew 18 and pray for a humble spirit. Concentrate on how in our relationships with others we are to reflect the love God has shown towards us.

First try the soft answer; strive to understand the other personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s viewpoint; pick the time, place, and choice of words carefully; seek the good in the other person before you criticize; and try to create solutions that benefit all involved. Accept that some people will not resolve conflict constructively and there are situations that canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be solved.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 11: PAUL’S EXAMPLE In the early 50’s, the apostle Paul founded the church at Ephesus in Asia Minor. He returned about a year later and stayed for three years helping to develop a strong congregation. Paul then left Ephesus to continue his journey across the Roman Empire, preaching the gospel and founding churches. A short time after leaving the Ephesian congregation, Paul once again passed through Asia Minor and stopped at the coastal town of Miletus, which was about 36 miles from Ephesus. He took this opportunity to invite the elders of the Ephesian church to come to Miletus. In his instructions to them, recorded in Acts 20, we learn a great deal about the leadership principles of the apostle Paul. Points to build on Acts 20:18: “And when they had come to him, he said to them: “You know, from the first day that I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you,” Paul didn’t separate himself from those whom he led, but “lived among them.” Abraham Lincoln would often leave the White House and walk to staging areas to review the troops. According to Donald T. Phillips in Lincoln on Leadership, “On one rainy day…Lincoln got drenched while he stood [on a hotel balcony] as the soldiers cheered him enthusiastically. ‘If they can stand it,’ he said, ‘I guess I can’” (1992, pg. 19). He visited hospitals, dropped in on government leaders just to have a chat, and was generally available to any who wished to see him. A servant leader isn’t detached in an ivory tower ruling his domain, but is a member of the community, actively participating in life with those whom he serves. Acts 20:19: “serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the Jews; “ Paul understood that humble service to God was the foundation of all leadership. This humility towards God gave him strength to withstand those who opposed his mission. Acts 20:20: “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house,” Paul saw teaching as a main mission of leadership and held back nothing that was helpful. Servant leadership is concerned with the welfare and independence of those he leads. An insecure leader, or one who is only concerned with personal control of others, tries to make people dependent upon himself by making decisions for people instead of teaching them how to make decisions for themselves based on sound principles.

Acts 20:21: “ testifying to Jews, and also to Greeks, repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul lived his mission. Paul’s mission wasn’t a hobby it was a consuming way of life. Acts 20:22-23: “And see, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem, not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me.” Paul showed courage in completing his mission even in the face of the unknown. Bullinger’s Figures of Speech Used in the Bible says that “bound in the spirit” is an idiomatic phrase meaning “with a fixed determination and settled purpose.” (Figures of Speech Used in the Bible, E.W. Bullinger, 1968). Acts 20:24: “But none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.” Paul never lost sight of his vision. He was able to run the race, often weary and hurting, because he never lost sight of the goal. Acts 20:25-26: “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men.” Paul held others responsible for their actions. When confronted by Jews in Corinth who rejected his message Paul proclaimed, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility” (Acts 18:6 NIV). It is easy, in wanting to avoid conflict or not hurting someone’s feelings, to neglect helping them take responsibility for their own choices. A leader must help people take responsibility for their mistakes. Only then can real change take place. Acts 20:27: “For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God.” Paul believed in the principle: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Acts 20:31: “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”

Paul trained qualified men to be leaders. He also knew that there will always be men who wish to seize what they see as power and control for their own agendas and benefit. Servant leaders must resist those who try and take upon themselves illegitimate authority. Acts 20:32-34: “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I have coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. Yes, you yourselves know that these hands have provided for my necessities, and for those who were with me.” Paul resisted covetousness. Covetousness of power, status, money or recognition is the great inner monster servant leaders must constantly battle. Acts 20:35: “I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ “ Paul led by example and supported those who were weaker than him. Acts 20:36-38: “And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. Then they all wept freely, and fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him, sorrowing most of all for the words which he spoke, that they would see his face no more. And they accompanied him to the ship.” The result of Paul’s leadership was a group of dedicated men who wanted to follow in his footsteps. Application Paul’s instructions to the elders of the Ephesian church contain gems of leadership principles that leaders should study and discuss often.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 12: EMOTIONAL CONTROL Everyone knew Abigail’s marriage was a bad match. Her husband was wealthy, but there is nothing more despicable than a mean spirited man who uses his wealth to take advantage of the less fortunate. Even his name, Nabal, meant “fool”. Abigail, a woman of intelligence and beauty, would surely wilt from living in such a harsh relationship. It was a time of political unrest for Israel. Rumor was that King Saul was becoming irrational since his rejection by the great prophet Samuel. Then there was this young upstart named David, a shepherd from an unknown family, who had killed Goliath. It was commonly believed that Samuel had anointed him king to replace Saul. Saul, intent on doing David harm, had driven him from Jerusalem. The young claimant to the throne was now roaming the countryside with a band of loyal troops protecting herders from marauders. Nabal’s flocks were under the protection of David’s small army of six hundred soldiers. The wealthy rancher was in the field shearing sheep when David’s messengers arrived reminding him of the protection afforded his flocks. Explaining that they were low on food the messengers asked Nabal to send some supplies. True to form, Nabal refused, claiming David was nothing more than a runaway slave. When the messengers told David he was outraged and gathered four hundred of his troops to march on Nabal’s residence and settle the matter. Abigail was startled by the fear on the face of the young servant who begged to speak to her. He informed her of how David’s men had protected the flocks and how messengers had come to Nabal asking for food but were treated rudely. It wouldn’t be long before David’s men arrived to seek justice and Nabal was so stubborn he wouldn’t listen to anyone. Abigail quickly decided what she must do. She had servants load donkeys with two hundred loaves of bread, wine, mutton, roasted grain, raisins and figs. There was no use in telling Nabal since he would restrain her from going. Instead she led her small caravan to intercept David’s approaching warriors. Abigail knew she was taking her life in her own hands. Abigail approached David and bowed before him. She had in her grasp the opportunity to escape an unhappy marriage. Surely no one who knew her husband would blame Abigail if she asked David to spare her and the servants and only punish Nabal. What she actually did is quite remarkable. “Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal,” she pleaded. “For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. “Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives and as your soul lives, since the LORD has held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord be as Nabal.

“And now this present which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. “Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD, and evil is not found in you throughout your days. “Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life, but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your God; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. “And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Israel, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, either that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.” (1 Samuel 25:23-31). The silence seemed to last hours as everyone waited for David’s response. Instead of pleading for her own life Abigail interceded for her cantankerous husband. The next few minutes would decide her fate. Finally, David spoke, “Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me! And blessed is your advice and blessed are you, because you have kept me this day from coming to bloodshed and from avenging myself with my own hand. For indeed, as the LORD God of Israel lives, who has kept me back from hurting you, unless you had hastened and come to meet me, surely by morning light no males would have been left to Nabal!” (1 Samuel 25:32-34). Abigail returned home to find Nabal in a drunken stupor. She decided to wait until morning to tell him of her meeting with David. The next morning a hung-over Nabal listened in deepening terror as his wife told him of how narrowly he had missed being killed because of his stubborn rudeness. He collapsed into a coma never to regain consciousness. Ten days later Nabal died. Points to build on Emotional intelligence, the ability to analyze, understand and control your emotions, is many times more important to success than talents or IQ. Nabal was a man driven by his emotions. David allowed his emotions to be influenced by Nabal. Abigail proved herself to be a woman of great influence (leadership) by convincing David to see the danger of being driven by negative emotions. The only way to change negative emotions is through changing thoughts. Many times we want to change our unhappiness, or get control of a bad temper, by an act of will. Abigail appealed to David’s objective reason and he was able to get control of his anger and need for revenge. Application

Make Philippians 4:8 the criteria for the thoughts you choose to dwell upon and the ones you choose to discard.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 13: A TRUSTWORTHY MESSENGER John Maxwell in The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork relates how communication can break down as it passes from one messenger to another with this series of memorandum on a college campus: “President to Academic V.P.: Next Thursday Halley’s Comet will appear over this area. This is an event that occurs only once every 75 years. Call the Division Heads and have them assemble their professors and students on the athletic field and explain this phenomenon to them. If it rains, then cancel the observation and have the classes meet in the gym to see a film about the comet.” “Academic V.P. to Division Chairman: By order of the President, next Thursday Halley’s Comet will appear over the athletic field. If it rains, then cancel classes and report to the gym with your professors and students where you will be shown films, a phenomenal event which occurs once every 75 years. “Division Chairman to Professors: By order of the Phenomenal President, next Thursday Halley’s Comet will appear in the gym. In case of rain over the athletic field the President will give another order, something which occurs every 75 years. “Professor to Students: Next Thursday, the President will appear in our gym with Halley’s Comet, something which occurs every 75 years. If it rains the President will cancel the comet and order us all out to our phenomenal athletic field. “Student Writing Home to Parents: When it rains next Thursday over the school athletic field, the phenomenal 75-year-old President will cancel all classes and appear before the whole school in the gym accompanied by Bill Haley and the Comets” (17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, John Maxwell, 2001, p. 197-198). How many times has communication broken down in a company, on a church project, or plans being made by friends because the original message got garbled in being passed from one person to another? Points to build on Solomon wrote, “A wicked messenger falls into trouble, But a faithful ambassador brings health” (Proverbs 13:17) and “Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who send him, For he refreshes the souls of his masters” (Proverbs 25:13). When given the responsibility of relaying a message, either in writing or verbally, strive to be accurate and precise in communicating the sender’s intent. How much time and money is wasted in the business world because of shoddy relaying of communication?

Make sure you have been crystal clear in communicating the original message. When you are the person giving a message to be relayed to others make sure the original message isn’t ambiguous. An ambiguous message, communicated accurately, will still be ambiguous to the receiver. Make sure the messenger understands and can communicate the message. If it’s a verbal message it’s good to discuss it with the messenger to make sure he understands it completely. Sometimes a leader must communicate to the entire group. There are times when a leader must communicate to everyone directly. Otherwise he will become increasingly detached from his team, employees, congregation, club, committee, etc. Application Whenever you are entrusted with a message, whether verbally or in writing, be careful to communicate that message accurately and precisely. Whenever entrusting a message to someone make sure you’ve been crystal clear and that the messenger understands the message.

LEADERSHIP LESSON 14: PROBLEM SOLVING Around 445 BC an unlikely person arrived to help the reconstruction of Jerusalem. Earlier, groups of Jews had returned from captivity to rebuild the Temple, but the walls of the city remained in ruins. This meant that the people were unprotected and disorganized. Other peoples who occupied the land oppressed them. A Jew named Nehemiah was the cupbearer to the Persian king. When he heard of the desperate situation he was moved by God to take action and through a series of events he ended up being sent to Jerusalem to rebuild the city walls. Immediately he was confronted by not only the enormity of the job but by opposition who threatened violence. There are times in all of our lives when situations change so dramatically that we have to learn new ways of dealing with problems. Nehemiah was going through one of those times as he went from cupbearer to wall builder. He was going to have to become a leader. Points to build on When confronted with a new problem resist the urge for frantic action and first assess the situation. In Nehemiah 2:11-16 we find that Nehemiah spent three days surveying the condition of Jerusalem before discussing the situation with the local leaders. His knowledge would give him credibility. Share the vision and mission with those who are involved in the work so they buy into the goal. Nehemiah 2:17-19: “Then I said to them, ‘You see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lies waste, and its gates are burned with fire. Come and let us build the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no longer be a reproach.’” “And I told them of the hand of my God which had been good upon me, and also of the king’s words that he had spoken to me. So they said, ‘Let us rise up and build.’ Then they set their hands to this good work.” Nehemiah encouraged the people who would do the work by explaining the reality of the situation. Notice his use of the words we and us. Nehemiah motivated people by clearly communicating that “we’re all in this together.” Human beings are inspired by two different kinds of motivation. One is centered in a desire for an outside reward or fear of punishment. Another is an internal motivation focused on a vision and desire to accomplish a goal. A child, who is motivated to study because he or she gets money for good grades, or punishment for bad grades, doesn’t feel the same exhilaration of learning as the child who is motivated by the desire to learn. Organization brings security and stability to the work. Nehemiah chapter 3 lists the various clans and families and the sections of the wall each family was responsible to rebuild. Verse 5 mentions a clan whose leaders didn’t get out and do the work with the

people, but the people did the work without them because they had a clear vision and mission. Application Life will confront a leader with problems that require new solutions and ways of leading. Flexibility is essential or you will relive the old adage, “You can’t solve today’s problems with the same solutions that created them in the first place.”

POINTS OF PRESENTATION 1: CHARACTER COUNTS Saul was an ambitious man, but never in his wildest dreams did he foresee that through both writing and public speaking he would have a profound influence on hundreds of millions of people. Paradoxically, this influential individual didn’t have the best reputation as an orator. Some people, after hearing him speak, said that his writings were “weighty and powerful, but his bodily presence is weak, and his speech contemptible.” This influential man was the apostle Paul, and the people who were speaking about him were fellow Christians. Edward Everett was one of the most renowned public speakers of his day. At an important event on November 19, 1863 his oratory lasted two hours. The speaker who followed him spoke for only a few minutes, his speech comprised of a scant ten sentences. No one remembers Everett’s speech, but Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address is still studied as one of the greatest speeches of American history. The book of Acts contains numerous instances where Paul exercised influenced on large numbers of people through public speaking, not because he was a polished orator, but because the power of the truth of God rang clear. The greatness of the Gettsyburg Address isn’t the slick presentation of a politician, but the revelation of the very heart and mind of the individual delivering the message. We’ve all heard Ralph Waldo Emerson’s famous quote, “What you are speaks so loud I can’t hear what you’re saying.” (What he actually wrote was, “What you are stands over you the while, and thunders so that I cannot hear what you say to the contrary.”) Inevitably, the impact of what we say is enhanced or hindered by who we are. Points to Build Upon The reason for public speaking opportunities is to communicate. Why engage in public speaking? In the final analysis, if the audience doesn’t understand the information then the speaker failed as a communicator no matter how technically correct the presentation. The more knowledge you have on a subject the more effective and the more composed you will be in communicating. Knowledge and passion are key ingredients in effective communication. Obviously, when the audience believes you possess needful information then they are more apt to actively engage in the presentation. You must want your audience to benefit from the information. A person who speaks because he desires to be seen as a gifted speaker or teacher will eventually lose the confidence of those who are listening. People listen to public speakers, whether they are giving a job related seminar, a sermon or a cooking demonstration, because the information is seen as valuable. The more a speaker concentrates on the message and the audience, and the less he is concerned about self, the more people will listen to what he has to say.

Application A public speaker should always concentrate on the value of his information to the audience. Whenever you finish preparing a speech ( and even when you start preparing) write down the answers to these questions: “What benefit does each person in the audience get from this presentation?” “Do I have sufficient knowledge of this subject assist the audience?” “Am I doing anything that will bring undo attention to myself and interfere with the audience understanding the information?” After you’ve answered these questions create a one-sentence benefit statement and insert in somewhere in your speech.

POINTS OF PRESENTATION 2: KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE Tom and Jim are walking down a country road and they come across a herd of cows. Tom says, “Look at that cow with one eye.” So Jim covers one eye and looks at the cows. A man sitting in a restaurant tries to open a conversation with the waitress serving the coffee by stating, “It sure looks like rain.” “Hey, don’t blame me,” she snaps, “I don’t make the coffee I just serve it.” A woman says to a friend, “I’ve had problems with my job; the kids have had so much school work; I’ve been overwhelmed cleaning the house for the party this weekend— this week has left me in a state of consternation.” “Have you tried prune juice?” the friend asks. These are silly examples of miscommunication, but all of us experience difficulties resulting from misunderstandings. Public speaking presents opportunities for influencing large numbers of people, as well as opportunities for more miscommunication because of the diversity of the individuals in the audience. Points to build on The purpose for public speaking is greater than the dissemination of information. Speakers must motivate the audience to assimilate and respond to the information. Therefore, all effective speaking involves some learning on the part of the audience. The more a speaker knows about his audience the more effective he can be in communicating to them. Even the word communication comes from a Latin word meaning “held in common.” All learning involves some kind of personal motivation. The motivation may be for reward, fear of punishment or for personal satisfaction. The more a speaker understands what motivates the audience, the more effective he will be in having them relate to the information he presents. A speaker must ascertain the readiness of the audience to accept both the speaker and the information being presented. In some cases it may be important to first win credibility with an audience before presenting the information. This may be as simple as opening with commonly acceptable information or quoting from a credible source. When speaking to an audience that may be critical or ambivalent, it is important to find common ground by opening the presentation with a shared experience, complimenting the positive aspects of local culture, telling an interesting story, or engaging them with “benefit statements.” A speaker must ascertain the ability of the audience to understand the material being presented. It is vital that a speaker knows his specific purpose statement, benefit statements, and has a clear concept of the conclusion before creating the body of the speech. He then creates the body of the speech to fit the level of understanding of his audience. The introduction of a speech is

constructed last to gain interest, establish common ground, and provide the launching board into the subject. The apostle Paul used some of these techniques when he spoke to the philosophers in Athens. When looking at Paul’s presentation, it is important to notice that he never once quotes from the Hebrew scriptures (which would have been automatically rejected by his audience). Luke records in Acts 17:22-24: “Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you…” Paul doesn’t begin by telling them that they are in rebellion against the true God, but relates to their culture. He then proceeds to explain to them that he is there to reveal the Unknown God they worship. In verse 28 Paul actually quotes from a pagan poet to make a point. By relating to his audience Paul creates common ground without clouding the truth. Verse 16 states that Paul’s purpose was to expose the falsehood of idolatry. In verses 29-31 he says, “Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising. Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” Some dismissed Paul’s message as superstition, while others said they wanted to hear more. Paul approached a hostile audience by finding some common ground, resulting in the willingness of a number of people to consider what he taught. Application Before speaking to a new group, create an inventory of common ground that can be used in the presentation. It is also advantageous to create specific purpose questions that will intrigue and challenge the audience. Relate these questions to your specific purpose statement. These questions may be part of your introduction, appear strategically throughout the speech, or they may never be actually used in the speech. Their sole purpose is to help the speaker clarify his own thoughts, as he asks himself the questions his audience is likely to be asking themselves as they listen.

POINTS OF PRESENTATION 3: HOW PEOPLE LEARN It was a distinguished audience. The apostle Paul was brought before the new Roman governor, Porcius Festus, who along with King Agrippa and his wife, Bernice, heard him defend his belief in Jesus as the Messiah. We pick up the story in Acts 26:24-19: “Now as he thus made his defense, Festus said with a loud voice, ‘Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is driving you mad!’” “But he said, ‘I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.’” “Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘You almost persuade me to become a Christian.’” “And Paul said, ‘I would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains.’” Paul clearly states that his focus wasn’t on his defense, but rather that everyone who heard him would come to conversion. Knowing that God calls people through preaching the gospel, he undoubtedly put every effort into persuading those who heard him. Much successful public speaking involves educating and convincing, which involves learning by members of the audience. Points To Build Upon Effective learning involves reinforcing the information being delivered. Simply stating information doesn’t mean people will learn it or even accept it as true. Reinforcement is done through a variety of means including presenting supporting facts, quoting authorities the audience accepts, or appealing to the audience’s own experiences. When Festus accuses Paul of madness Paul responds by appealing to the personal knowledge of King Agrippa, “I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak the words of truth and reason. For the king, before whom I also speak freely, knows these things; for I am convinced that none of these things escapes his attention, since this thing was not done in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know that you do believe.’” The reinforcement of Paul’s statements by Agrippa’s own experiences caused him to say to Paul, “You almost persuade me to become a Christian.” “Learning tends to be generalized from a specific situation to related situations. The more clearly related the situations are perceived to be, the greater the degree of transfer” (Kenneth E. Anderson, Introduction to Communication Theory and Practice Cummings Publishing Company, 1972, p. 34.)

Information is retained more easily when it is personally relevant and related to already learned knowledge. In the controversial national bestseller Cultural Literacy, E.D. Hirsch, Jr. relates a study done in 1978 involving community college students who did poorly on a comprehension test based on a short passage concerning the American Civil War. Researchers discovered that while the college students understood the vocabulary, they possessed limited knowledge of essential facts including the identities of Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant. Knowing a few simple facts would have dramatically changed the students’ ability to comprehend. (E.D. Hirsch, Jr, Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know, Houghton Mifflin Company, 1987, p. 41.) An effective speaker must never assume the audience has all the sufficient facts to understand and retain his presentation, so he must first appeal to shared knowledge to make his points relevant before presenting the new information. Let’s go back to Paul’s defense before Festus and Aprippa: “Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You are permitted to speak for yourself.” “So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself: ‘I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you concerning all the things of which I am accused by the Jews, especially because you are expert in all customs and questions which have to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently. My manner of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the Jews know. They knew me from the first, if they were willing to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made by God to our fathers. To this promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God night and day, hope to attain. For this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?’” Agrippa can now relate to Paul’s situation because Paul appeals to knowledge Agrippa already possesses concerning Judaism and Paul’s life. On the emotional level, human-interest stories are one of the most powerful ways to have an audience relate to the presenter’s material. In Acts 26:9-23 Paul brings human interest to his defense by giving details of his persecution of Christians and the encounter with Christ that led to his conversion. Application Before your presentation, explore common knowledge with your audience you can use to make a connection. Give the audience facts they will need to raise their comprehension of the material. Use human-interest stories to create common emotional ground.

POINTS OF PRESENTATION 4: PHYSICAL DELIVERY Studies at the University of Minnesota, substantiated by studies at Florida State and Michigan State, show that most people forget one-third to one-half of what they have heard within eight hours (Gail and Michele Myers, The Dynamics of Human Communication: A Laboratory Approach, 1976, p. 243.) It is important to understand that hearing and listening aren’t the same. A person can hear what is said, be distracted or thinking about something else, and not process the information into conscious thought. One of the challenges of public speaking is to help the audience participate in active listening. The more active a person is in interacting with the material, the more apt he or she is to retain what is being presented. Because of the passivity of television, and the immediate gratification of the computer, it is ever more challenging for a speaker to keep audience attention. Points to build on In addition to verbal delivery, there are physical ways to improve audience attention. Appearance. Quick Study, an outline for public speaking courses, gives these pointers: “Decide on the kind of message you want to send to the audience through your dress, hairstyle and accessories. Dress differently for different audiences. Consider if they are high school students, professional business people, residents of a homeless shelter, or construction workers. It is a good rule-of-thumb to dress just a little better than the members of your audience. “1. Dress appropriately for the occasion. Remember, your appearance directly affects your credibility.” “2. Your topic may determine how you dress. Costume or ethnic clothing may add an extra element to your presentation” (Sharon Milan, BarCharts, Inc., 2002). Movement. A speaker needs to turn to make eye contact with the audience. Walking around the stage can at times be effective, but the speaker must be careful not to distract the audience with his movements. Facial Expressions. Quick Study: “If you know your material and have an emotional connection to it, facial expressions will happen naturally for most speakers. Make sure your facial expressions agree with your message (if you talk a bout death and smile, your audience will think you are insensitive).” The right gesture at the right time. Gestures are something more than just hand movements. Gestures involve “body language”. A speaker needs to approach the podium, stand erect, and look at the audience before launching into his presentation. Hand gestures then need to match what you are saying. The bigger the audience, the more pronounced the gestures.

The apostle Paul was adroit at using gestures. Once he was attacked by a mob in Jerusalem. After being rescued by the Roman garrison, he was allowed to speak to the crowd. In Acts 21:40 Luke writes, “Paul stood on the stairs and motioned with his hand to the people. And there was a great silence…” In Acts 16:1 Luke writes that Paul “stretched out his hand and answered for himself…” Eye Contact. It is always important to remember that your audience is a collection of individuals. Eye contact is an important aspect of human communication. Some speech experts say that you should make eye contact with members of your audience for three seconds. The bigger the audience, the more you can look at one person and have the same effect on many around that person. Proper eye contact will make each person feel as though you are talking to him or her personally. Application Study the gestures of other speakers and analyze the impact they have on you and the rest of the audience. Practice gestures and movement in front of a full-length mirror. Just for fun, here are some gestures to practice while trying to maintain eye contact with the audience: being attacked by bees, various swimming strokes, dribbling and shooting a basketball, leading an orchestra, measuring the size of the room.

POINTS OF PRESENTATION 5: ADDING INTEREST TO A SPEECH Mass media has changed the way people communicate. In our society most people are bombarded with thousands of messages a day. These messages include a myriad of images, sights and sound, colors and music. A public speaker has the difficult task of gaining and holding people’s attention primarily with words. Because people are accustomed to an exciting array of communication formats on television, radio and the computer, a public speaker, using only words, has difficulty keeping audience concentration. Points to Build Upon There are a number of techniques speakers can use to grab and maintain the attention of the audience. The “theater of the mind.” This is a radio term used to explain how a person can use words to create images inside the mind that are powerful and personal. Painting word pictures in is the details. Caution, give too many descriptive details, and the audience miss the point of the description. The right descriptive word creates a personalized mental image. What does this sentence mean, “One problem with the education system in the country is that it tends to lower standards to the lowest common denominator, therefore creating students resembling lead tipped writing instruments exhibiting little personal initiative”? Notice how the power of the sentence changes by using fewer words and using a single adjective, “Lowering educational standards tends to limit personal initiative creating students who are like yellow pencils.” (Most cliches were once colorful and powerful statements). Making graphic comparisons. Dale Carneige, in How to Develop Self-Confidence and Influence People by Public Speaking, gives this illustration of how a proper comparison can drive home a point: “f you are describing the great pyramid, first tell the audience that it is 451 feet, then tell them how high that is in terms of some building they see every day. Tell how many city blocks the base would cover. Don’t speak about so many thousands of gallons of this or so many hundred thousand barrels of that without also telling how many rooms the size of the one you are speaking in could be filled with that much liquid. Instead of twenty feet high, whay not say one and a half times as high as this ceiling” (1956, pg. 171). A comparison should make a connection with a visual image. Saying that the distance was about the length of a football field is much more dramatic than saying three hundred yards. Use appropriate stories. Max DePree, in Leadership Is an Art, relates a story of a Nigerian tribe that suffered a cultural crisis due to the installation of electric light bulbs. The tribe’s custom had been to gather together most nights when the tribal elders and storytellers would relate the history of their people. The light bulbs were such a marvel that people began to stay in their huts just to watch the light and they began to lose knowledge of their history.

Depree concludes, “Every family, every college, every corporation, every institution needs tribal storytellers. The penalty for failing to listen is to lose one’s history, one’s historical context, one’s binding values. Like the Nigerian tribe, without the continuity brought by custom, any group of people will begin to forget who they are.” (Max DePree, Leadership Is an Art, Doubleday, 1989, p. 81-82.) It is a common mistake for speakers to find a good story and build a speech around it. First pick your subject and then find a story to enhance the main points. Application We expand our own theater of the mind through reading books and magazines on a variety of subjects by many different authors. Keep a file of good stories, sayings, examples and comparisons.

POINTS OF PRESENTATION 6: BEING RELEVANT AND CURRENT A group of people approached Jesus and asked Him about some Galileans whom Pilate killed, mingling their blood into pagan sacrifices. We can imagine the many questions. Did this terrible death mean that these people were great sinners? How would God judge people who had been dishonored in this way? Jesus responds by saying, “Do you suppose that those Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” “Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (Luke 13:1-5). People approached Jesus with real life problems. They responded to Him because His message was relevant and current. Points to build on Use relevant current events. Webster’s New World Dictionary defines relevant as “bearing upon or relating to the matter in hand.” The more people see information as having practical applications to their immediate lives, the more apt they are to actively interact with the presentation. When using current events in your presentation apply the newspaper reporting formula of who, what, when, where, why and how. People brought the issue of the slain Galileans to Jesus because it was of concern to them. In this situation Jesus didn’t launch into rabbinical debate or even quote from the Scripture. Instead He gave a simple answer that dealt directly with their concerns and reinforces His answer by using a relevant current event. Use quotes and examples with which your audience can relate. A quote from Winston Churchill might add great power and color to what you are saying unless many people in the audience are only vaguely aware of Winston Churchill’s historical importance. You can make a quote relevant to everyone in the audience with a short preface explaining why this quote has validity. Quoting Winston Churchill can be made relevant to others simply by prefacing it with a statement like “Winston Churchill, Great Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II, who is considered one of the greatest leaders in the England’s history, once said…” Application Stay current with news by reading, watching and listening to a variety of news sources.

Relate to people by dealing with their issues and concerns. When quoting a source give a short introduction that will give relevance to those who may not be aware of the author.