Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

Where have all the leaders gone?" a talk-show host recently asked his guests. His question concerned the race for the office of president of the United States, a process of choosing the most powerful leader on earth. From the discussion that followed it became apparent that most people are confused about what makes a good leader and what a competent leader is and does. In an ocean of six billion people, humanity is awash with a surplus of sinners and a shortage of saints. What the world needs now are leaders who rise above the tide to improve human conditions. By the people Much of humanity accepts the idea, forged in recent centuries, that the best form of government is that in which leaders are selected by their followers. In so doing much of the world believes we can make progress only when we select leaders with vision to overcome conflicting self-interests and personal prejudices. Leaders operate from a vision that influences others-either for good or bad. The truly great can shape events that will permanently change the course of history. When we look around where do we see the leaders who can measure up? Where are leaders like those whose courage and conviction literally saved their nations, whose determination changed the course of history? Where are the George Washingtons, Abraham Lincolns and Winston Churchills? Consider the example of the first president of the United States, sometimes called the father of the nation. George Washington led what appeared to be a broken army, defeated in New York the previous summer, to a crucial victory on Christmas eve 1776. His bold leadership had an electrifying effect on the new nation. Even though morale was low, with his army dwindling daily from desertions, Washington ferried his remaining soldiers across the ice-clogged Delaware River before dawn, attacked the unsuspecting Hessian soldiers at Trenton, New Jersey, and demonstrated to the world that the Declaration of Independence signed the previous July 4 was far more than simply an idealistic dream. A year later Washington's perseverance, loyalty to principle and irreproachable personal example of diligent service to army and country influenced his poorly clothed, freezing and half-starved soldiers to carry on for months in desperate winter conditions at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. For five years events and circumstances tested Washington again and again. Many times he could have been killed or defeated and executed for treason against the king and British Empire. When he emerged victorious, the traits that had made him a great military leader made him an outstanding first president. His principled leadership established the American presidency as an elected office without historical precedent at a time when many were calling for him to become a king. A God-given responsibility Washington believed the responsibility of high office must be considered a responsibility from God. The duties of the president, he thought, had to be carried out with the highest honor. Like many other practices he originated, Washington established the tradition of taking the oath of office with his hand on the Bible, appealing "so help me God" to uphold the laws of the United States and the public trust. Instead of seeking to control power until his death, he stepped aside to become the nation's first retired president. In his last will and testament he stipulated that his slaves were to be freed from the bondage he had come to believe was against the will of God and the inalienable rights among men. Like so many leaders ahead of their time, Washington's legacy is as strong today as it was more than 200 years ago. Great leaders-good and evil-can profoundly affect the course of history. Adolf Hitler, perhaps the dominant leader of the 20th century, was the antithesis of Washington. Hitler rode a wave of German despair to manipulate his way into national leadership. With mesmerizing theatrics he pioneered use of the new technological tools of radio, amplified sound and theatrical lighting to create mass-media politics. Through clever manipulation, the German people's perception of Hitler was transformed through the Nazi Party's absolute control of news and information sources, incessant lying, orchestrated public appearances (skillfully crafted for psychological impact), party politics, rigged elections, backroom deal-making and other political chicanery. Hitler seized the soul of a nation by promising 1,000 years of German domination of the world, unprecedented prosperity and elimination of Germany's enemies. What he brought was mass murder and warfare on a scale never seen before in history. Hitler devastated not only his nation but much of Europe in attempting to carry out his mad dreams. What does a true leader do? The contrast between Washington and Hitler can help us better understand the qualities that distinguish good from bad leaders. A good leader will focus on what is best for the people he leads. What will build a secure and prosperous future for them? Leaders should be willing to sacrifice themselves for a cause greater than themselves-the needs of others. Leadership is not an isolated human trait. Life requires that each of us become a leader in various ways. Parents are leaders. Husbands are leaders. Mothers and wives are leaders. Teachers are leaders. Employers are leaders. Lifeguards, police, pastors, coaches, committee chairmen, scoutmasters, legislators, supervisors, managers, presidents, vice presidents and officers of all kinds are leaders. In our relationships in the working world, each of us leads and follows. It is normal both to lead and be led. Good leaders are followed for important reasons. They provide people with a vision. They articulate that vision and show how others may reach it. The leader is the symbol and embodiment of worthy shared goals and how to achieve them. Leaders help a group find solutions, solve problems, move forward. Good leaders are not dictators. They do not derive their power from commanding people to obey their will or use coercive methods to manipulate others. Good leaders gain respect because of their character, commitment and concern for others. They are respected because they value and uphold the truth. They are committed to making life work for those they lead. Good leaders inspire others to achieve their potential. People everywhere want to have faith in their leaders and to look to them for strength, direction and support in time of need. People don't want their leaders to lie to them, manipulate them or be unprincipled. Leadership isn't always popular Sometimes, however, people won't tolerate the kind of leaders they truly need. People can become so corrupt they don't want the truth. The Bible talks about those times. A blinded and deceived people killed Jesus Christ. We are living in a world that is much the same in too many ways. Good leadership is agonizingly difficult and lonely. It requires acting on principles for the ultimate common good, based on what is right, not what is expedient. It requires courage and conviction and sometimes demands action opposed by entrenched forces controlling greater power. Exercising good leadership is risky. Leaders can be ostracized and even assassinated for it-as happened to Jesus, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King. Sometimes great leaders are seemingly without substantial support, like a voice crying in the wilderness. Only later are they called on to exercise leadership. For years before Hitler invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, Winston Churchill warned that the European nations' policy of giving in to Hitler's demands would lead to disaster. He shouted that the world needed to stand up to Hitler before it was too late. But few listened, and unimaginable horrors followed. Long before America entered the war against Germany and Japan, it was Churchill's determined leadership as the wartime prime minister that saved Great Britain and paved the way for eventual Allied victory. Guidebook for leadership Over the course of their lives, Washington and Lincoln faced challenges and setbacks. Both found inspiration and a framework for successful leadership in the pages of the Bible. It was Sir Winston Churchill who summed up Lincoln's growing belief in God during the difficult days of the American Civil War. Churchill had gone through a similar experience in 1940. He wrote: "His [Lincoln's] spirit was sustained by a deepening belief in Providence. When the toll of the war rose steeply and plans went wrong, he appealed in his inmost thoughts to a power higher than man's. Strength was certainly given him" (The History of the English-Speaking Peoples: Volume 4, The Great Democracies, 1958, p. 169). History abounds with accounts of the great conquerors of the world-Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Genghis Khan, Charlemagne, Napoleon Bonaparte. Volumes have been written about their exploits. Yet we often overlook another chronicle that is the best book on leadership ever written. The Bible chronicles almost 1,000 years of the national leadership-both good and bad-of a race of people. It reveals the character of right leadership. A central focus of the book is its message that the world can be, and will be, transformed by the right kind of leadership. It offers many examples of leaders who stood out in their generation. Noah was the only "preacher of righteousness" of his day (2 Peter 2:5). He courageously resisted evil in a world of corruption, built the ark as a witness to a coming judgment and served as a warning sign to the world for 120 years. Joseph was an uncommonly capable young man who overcame adversity-including being sold into slavery and being imprisoned on trumped-up charges-to become second in command of Egypt, the superpower of his day. The Bible describes the context, trials, triumphs, faith and failure of an astonishing array of leaders. Abraham, Moses and King David demonstrated standards of righteous leadership for all time. Wicked leaders also are profiled in the Bible. Ahab debased his kingdom by instituting idolatrous Baal worship-which included child sacrifice -under the incessant manipulation of his pagan wife, Jezebel. Thrilling accounts of daring, righteous leadership abound in Scripture. Esther, Jewish queen of the Persian Empire, courageously saved her people from annihilation at the hands of the power-hungry and greedy Haman by laying her own life on the line. Jesus' concepts and teaching about leadership were revolutionary. In stark contrast to the prevailing ideals of leadership, He proclaimed to His followers: "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" (Matthew 20:25-27). He condemned prominent men in the ruling class as "blind guides" who "outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside ... are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Matthew 23:24, 28). He called the leaders hypocrites (verse 27), a Greek term for an actor whose face was hidden behind a mask. Hypocritical leaders, He said, are people who pose as public servants but really are motivated by greed and public adulation. Behind the mask and outward show they are different. Jesus said those leaders and their followers are the blind leading the blind who will both fall into a ditch (Matthew 15:14). George Washington and Abraham Lincoln both perceived that the Bible was essential inspiration for a worthy leader. "It is impossible," Washington said, "to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible." Lincoln constantly read the Bible and prayed for divine guidance as he agonized through the Civil War. Guidelines for leaders from Washington and Moses At Mount Vernon, the preserved country estate of George Washington across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., a statue stands as a memorial in a secluded garden courtyard. An inscription from the Bible, engraved on the pedestal, gives us a glimpse of Washington's values for leadership. The quotation-from the book of Exodus -contains a listing of four character traits for leadership in the tribes of Israel under the administration of Moses 3,500 years ago: "I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee ... Thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens" (Exodus 18:19-21, King James Version). Why are these characteristics-of "able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness"-necessary in righteous leaders? Let's examine why the American founders prized each of these traits in evaluating their leaders. "Able men" First, Moses selected able people. Men and women of ability, expertise and experience are required for governing and representing others. Some systems of government promote people to positions of leadership because of patronage rather than merit. This has always been a problem, even in the Western democracies. Too often people are rewarded with offices of political leadership based more on whom they know or how much money they contribute than on their abilities. Inevitably the public and the whole nation suffer as the inexperience, inability and unqualified character of poor leaders are exposed. Their lack of vision, inability to articulate it, bad policy, poor decisions and failure to inspire confidence in those in their sphere of influence lead to mediocre results or failure. The abilities to listen, tap and apply the knowledge of others, understand the dynamics of a broad array of situations, issues and conflicts and establish order and progress through groups all require a breadth of ability and experience. But merely having such broad abilities does not guarantee the kind of leadership that will benefit everyone. "Such as fear God" The second trait in Moses's list is the fear of God. Intelligence and ability must be tempered with a respect for the ultimate ruler of mankind, our Creator. Fear of God means the leader knows his place in the order of things and is willing to acknowledge the will of God for all people. The upright leader must listen to God as his higher authority, ultimate law giver and inspiration and source of spiritual principles underlying sound policy and decisions. In his first inaugural address, Washington spent a third of the speech expounding "providence" (God's guidance and blessing) and making "fervent supplications to that Almighty Being who rules the universe." Solomon, an Israelite king who started out on the right foot but later fell victim to the perks and power of his office, initially understood that proper respect for God is the foundation for right rulership. "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom," he wrote, "and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding" (Proverbs 9:10). Solomon should have better heeded these wisdom-filled last words of his father, King David: "He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God" (2 Samuel 23:3). "Men of truth" The third leadership trait on Moses's list shows that living realistically and dealing in truth are the only way a leader can sustain his effectiveness. Men of truth live in the world of facts, not fictions. If a person genuinely seeks truth, he has the courage, knowledge and wisdom to deal with it. Mature men and women of truth know how to face the facts even about their own shortcomings, make corrections and move on. The leader who is dishonest to others or himself, who bends truth and manipulates information to protect himself or delude others, ultimately proves to be untrustworthy and a liar. When such leaders gain prominence and national office, they do great damage to respect for government, undermine authority and weaken the standards and morality of a nation's citizens. "Hating covetousness" The fourth leadership trait Moses cited deals with leaders' core motivation. Leaders are to hate covetousness-the desire to take what does not belong to us or hold onto what is not ours. Power and authority intoxicate leaders. Jesus tells His followers they must counteract this corrupting tendency by focusing on serving others, just as He did (Matthew 20:25-28), rather than trying to gain power, authority and wealth for themselves. Covetousness can take many forms. In the worst cases covetous rulers treat their countries as their personal fiefdoms, plundering the economy for their own gain and living in luxury while their countrymen suffer. Some, after their downfall, have been found to have stashed hundreds of millions of dollars of looted funds in secret overseas bank accounts. In other cases the corruption is more subtle. In the United States the process of electioneering for the high offices of the presidency, Congress and state legislatures requires that candidates continually solicit monetary donations from interests who wish to influence the officeholders for preferential treatment on certain issues once they are in office. This is largely an outgrowth of the fact that government agencies and federal and state laws greatly impact the livelihoods of people and businesses, who understandably don't want to be disadvantaged by government actions. Covetous persons given positions of power can harm good government when they sabotage the development of other able people whom they perceive as rivals for the power they hold. Rather than genuinely trying to serve others, they exercise inordinate control over others for the benefit of themselves. Timeless standards These four leadership criteria are as relevant now as they were when written 3,500 years ago. Godly leadership puts humility, concern for equity and justice under the law ahead of the personal power and interests of the leader. These principles ensure that public offices are occupied by public servants who are purely motivated to do the hard work of public service. Such leaders are not jealous or competitive for their positions. More than ever the world needs true leadership. Its character traits are not hidden and will never die. But they are still hard to come by. It is the message of this magazine that one day these eternal spiritual standards will be the basis for leadership practiced all over the earth. In contrast to today's world, in that day leaders will be focused on giving to others rather than getting for themselves. Their aim will be to help everyone reach his full potential in a world of peace, harmony and cooperation free of burdensome governments and oppressive leaders. GN

Where Have All the Leaders Gone?

Good News Magazine: September - October 2000

Course Content

Howard Davis

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