Empowered Leaders

By Hans Finzel

Is leadership really about the rewards, excitement, and exhilaration? Or the responsibilities, frustrations, and exhausting nights? Hans Finzel takes readers on a journey into the lives of the Bible's great leaders, such as Moses, Abraham, Jesus, unearthing powerful principles for effective leadership in any situation. This powerful guide to developing the skills needed to become a successful leader poses some penetrating questions that force us to take an honest look at ourselves and our intentions in being a leader.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Sep 28, 2002
• ISBN: 9781418558062

Book preview

Empowered

LEADERS

Empowered

THE TEN PRINCIPLES OF CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP

LEADERS

Hans FINZEL

FOREWORD BY CHARLES R. SWINDOLL

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EMPOWERED LEADERS

Copyright © 1998 by W Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Published by W Publishing Group, a Division of Thomas Nelson, Inc.,

P. O. Box 141000, Nashville, Tennessee 37214. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations used in this book are from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV), copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, International Bible Society.

Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

Published in association with Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS):

The theological opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily the official position of Dallas Theological Seminary.

ISBN 0-8499-4384-1 (tp)

ISBN 0-8499-9136-6 (se)

Printed in the United States of America

05 06 07 08 09 RRD 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

DEDICATION

To the leadership team

of CBInternational

I can’t imagine working day by day

with a more gifted, committed, and yet humble

group of servant leaders.

You make leadership truly rewarding.

CONTENTS

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. The Leader: Who Can Fill the Shoes?

2. The Task: A Leader’s Work

3. The Person: A Leader’s Character

4. Encouragement: Empowering Those You Lead

5. Conflict and Criticism: How to Handle Opposition

6. Vision: Anticipating the Future

7. Change: Managing Change in Your Organization

8. The Leadership Team: Developing the Leaders around You

9. Creativity: Cultivating Creativity in Leadership

10. Life Cycles of Leaders: Seasons in a Life of Leadership

Endnotes

Bibliography

Scripture Index

Subject Index

FOREWORD

TAKE ONE GLANCE at this book and you quickly discover this is not simply another book on leadership. This is no old, worn-out dolly dressed up in new clothes. For one of those, just stop by a crowded airport newsstand and glance over the choice of books on leadership for today.

If you’re like me, you’ve grown weary of the published cookie-cutter approaches on how to lead effectively. Somehow the church has aligned itself with Wall Street and traded its eternal values for matters better suited for leaders of microchip companies and ad agencies. I’ve gotten tired of all the hype surrounding church growth. And so has Hans Finzel. Instead he drills to the core, answering questions like, "What is the real biblical model of leadership? Does character matter? What qualities truly count for the Christian leader today?"

Refreshingly, with superb skill and an unusual knack for drawing you into his own experience, Finzel simply states that our only hope for finding clear direction in the soupy malaise of postmodern leadership theory is to refocus on the absolutely reliable compass of God’s Word. It’s about time someone said that.

So with the right compass in hand, the author steadily guides his readers on a satisfying journey toward rediscovering the timeless and rewarding disciplines of meditating on the Scriptures, prayer, and cultivating the inner spiritual life. To Finzel, integrity does matter. So he gently reminds us of the importance of pursuing such goals as character, creativity, and encouragement in leadership. All his discussions are carefully grounded in the Scriptures. And all his insights are seasoned with delightful real-life stories that not only convince, but refresh the weary soul like a tonic.

Highlighting such mammoth biblical leaders as Moses, Joseph, and David, this careful student of the Word emphasizes the often-missed truth that leaders are never perfect. Yet the best ones are authentic, and thus are usable by God. In other words effective leaders have feet of clay, but deep within are hearts of pure gold. The magnificent result is that the character studies in this book are full of fresh insights—insights that provide principles for effective leadership that you and I can implement and measure in any Christian setting.

You can’t discern how to become an effective Christian leader merely by studying charts and analyzing demographic reports. True leadership is about understanding God, yourself, and those whom He has called you to lead. That takes time. And it takes prayer. And more time and more prayer. In the nucleus of such disciplines is a deep commitment to a life of studying and applying God’s Word.

So locate your compass and prepare yourself for an unforgettable journey. You will soon be on your way to the fulfilling land of effective leadership. With Hans Finzel as your guide, I am convinced you will arrive there encouraged and wiser!

—CHARLES R. SWINDOLL

General Editor

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THIS PROJECT WAS A BIG JOB in the midst of a hectic life. A special thank you goes to my wife, Donna, a wonderful life companion for these twenty-three years, who helped make this manuscript come together. On top of the pressure of running the Finzel household with our two teenagers and ten-year-old twins, and covering the home front during all my travels, she gave many hours to editing and revising this manuscript. Her gifts in writing and insights into leadership have made a big difference, and for that I am very grateful. Thanks for spending all those hours in front of the computer, for your excellent feedback, for believing in me, and for always being there to make us successful as partners for life.

INTRODUCTION

LEADERSHIP IS DANGEROUS WORK. Just ask Captain Smith. On Sunday, April 14, 1912, a calm moonless night, the temperature was just about at the freezing mark. Inside, the passengers were enjoying a lovely dinner in the warm lively atmosphere of the newly christened Titanic.

Meanwhile in the wireless room Jack Phillips and Harold Bride were busy receiving ice warnings from other ships in the area. These messages were passed on to Captain Smith and the officers, who regarded them as normal warnings for this time of year and no threat to the Titanic. When the Titanic came in contact with Cape Race, Newfoundland, around 9:30 P.M., the wireless room became very busy sending passengers’ routine messages to friends, relatives, and business contacts. During this time the most important ice warnings were ignored. The steamer Mesaba sent an urgent message, reporting that a large icefield lay in the direction in which the Titanic was headed.

Up in the crow’s nest Frederick Fleet was staring into the darkness. Around 11:30 P.M., he noticed a black object immediately in their path. He urgently called the iceberg warning down to the officer in charge.

On the bridge First Officer Murdoch ordered full speed astern and hard a starboard. Slowly the ship began to turn and it looked as if it would clear the ice. When they heard a strange scraping noise, Murdoch knew they had hit an iceberg, a seaman’s worst nightmare. He then ordered the watertight doors shut.

Shortly after the collision Thomas Andrews, master builder of the ship, met with Captain Smith and gravely informed him that the Titanic was doomed. Over two hundred feet of the ship had been sliced open by the iceberg, and the first six watertight compartments were flooding.

Knowing his ship was sinking, Captain Smith ordered the evacuation of the Titanic. Their greatest problem was that the Titanic carried only enough lifeboats for about half the twenty-two hundred people on board. Meanwhile the wireless operators were sending distress calls indicating the Titanic’s position.

She went under at 2:20 A.M., less than three hours after striking the ice. Shortly after, all cries for help fell silent. All that was left of that greatest of passenger ships were partially filled lifeboats floating in a sea of blackness.

For Captain Smith, who went down with the ship, his past leadership effectiveness was his greatest enemy. He assumed he had mastered the art of leadership and grew cavalier at a time when he needed to be more careful than ever. The man everyone thought was the model captain made many fatal mistakes that night, and his errors cost the lives of 1,517 people. The ship itself (like the organizations we are asked to lead) was as sound as could be imagined. But the captain took that ship and sank it with his careless leadership choices.

The Titanic sank because its highly experienced captain made one flawed decision after another:

• He was blinded by his natural instincts.

• He undercalculated his enemies, the icebergs.

• He overcalculated his strengths, the strength of the ship.

• He took too many risks with his crew and his ship.

• He became reckless, pushing the ship too hard.

• His pride got in the way of effective leadership.

• He took ill-advised counsel from the ship owner to charge ahead.

• He left subordinates in command at a dangerous time.

• He was overconfident of the latest technology.

• He relied too much on past experience.

• He did not know his ship as well as he thought he did.

• He ignored repeated warnings of impending danger.

• He ignored the natural realities of the environment of that sea.

Who is to blame for the sinking of the Titanic? Captain Smith was surely to blame, but there were others at fault as well. The designer/builder and shipline owner, both also on the boat that night, were reckless and prideful about the abilities of their ship. They too were part of the doomed leadership team. Together these three leaders were responsible for one of the greatest preventable maritime tragedies.

Leadership is indeed filled with risk. The organizations we lead are much like the great oceanliners or smaller vessels that sail the seas of life. We the leaders are captains who are given the responsibility of taking care of the people in the boat with us. It is a great and high calling but not without its pitfalls. We have the awesome opportunity to do great good for the kingdom of God, but we face the real possibility of seriously hurting not only our lives but those of our followers as well.

History is filled with examples of good and bad leaders. We can look to the positive list of leaders as diverse as Thomas Edison, Abraham Lincoln, Amy Carmichael, John Rockefeller, Thomas Watson, Leonardo da Vinci, Mother Teresa, and Princess Diana. Some provided excellent leadership in government, others in the world of business, charity, industry, arts, and sciences. History is also filled with leaders who have done irreparable damage, such as Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler, and Benito Mussolini. They were gifted leaders who used their authority to do great harm. Whether the leaders did good or ill, their role was one of influence.

The word influence is the best one-word definition of leadership. After careful study on the subject, purposeful observation of leaders, and courses I’ve taken and taught, I always come back to that one simple definition which sums it all up: influence.

Leaders are people who influence others to think, feel, or act in certain ways.

Whether for good or ill, leaders take followers places through the power of their influence.

Leadership is much tougher today than it was in some other eras. Some people idolize the World War II league of leaders who came back from winning the war. They applied their guts and courage, attempted great things, and were successful. But our world flatly rejects the authoritarian style those leaders employed. Most churches no longer accept top-down autocratic pastors. Today’s organizational cultures have made authoritarianism obsolete.

Lou Holtz recently retired as head football coach for Notre Dame University after taking them to more than one hundred wins in his eleven-year tenure. He says the biggest problem in trying to lead today is that everyone is talking about rights and privileges, whereas twenty-five years ago people talked about obligations and responsibilities. Yet he adjusted his coaching style to deal successfully with the new mind-set and thus to lead his team to one victory after another. I applaud flexible older leaders who, like Lou Holtz, have seen the trends of change in leadership style and have made the switch. His observation contrasts builder values and boomer/buster values. When my turn comes to be one of the next-to-be-retired generation of leaders, I hope I will have Holtz’s type of flexibility and learning ability. I’ll need that as I continue to deal with the normal cultural changes that will confront me and other leaders of my generation in our ever-changing world.

I am enthusiastic about the new generation of leaders. In today’s churches we find excellent leadership representing all the generations. Men and women of great integrity are giving effective leadership in all walks of life and in all disciplines. But many churches and organizations are hungering to find new leaders to fill their pulpits and leadership positions. At times there seems to be a shortage of qualified leaders.

Just what does it take to be effective in leadership today? In this book we will discuss principles of effective leadership, taking those principles from Scripture, our frame of reference. Like secular history, the Scriptures are filled with models of good and bad leadership. From great men like Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, and Paul to the wicked kings of Israel and traitors like Herod and Judas, we find leaders of all kinds. If the Bible were merely a book of fairy tales, I doubt the failures of leaders would have been included. But we find brutal reality in the Scriptures, in which some leaders are called friends of God and other leaders murdered their own sons and daughters. You will see a crucial difference in the lives of the biblical leaders cited in this book. The influence of these biblical men and women as leaders is obvious; their impact as leaders increased as they were empowered by God in their leadership.

Someone has said that leadership, like cream, rises to the top. Often leadership is not something a person volunteers for. It is something a person is chosen for by others as he or she rises through the ranks. So why is someone chosen to lead? What are the characteristics, skills, abilities, and personality that cause some people to be selected for leadership?

As stated already, leadership is risky, even dangerous. This is because you as a leader have the incredible opportunity to do good and to encourage large numbers of people to accomplish great things for God. A leader’s influence can be used to build and lead organizations and movements that can help change the world. But as a leader, you can cause great destruction. We’ve all seen leaders who have taken missteps that have allowed their egos to grow too large, and those who got themselves into deep trouble ethically and morally, causing great devastation to their followers. These leaders placed a dark smudge on the reputation of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In light of this we need to be careful when we embark on the leadership journey. It is a sobering responsibility with the potential for great good but also the potential for causing others to stumble. James warned, Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1).

The Lord Jesus Himself shared the delights and demands of leadership. He said, "Who then is the faithful and wise manager, whom the master puts in charge of his servants to give them their food allowance at the proper time? It will be good for that servant whom the master finds doing so when he returns. I tell you the truth, he will put him in charge of all his possessions. . . . From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked" (Luke 12:42-44, 48, italics added).

What’s so great about leadership? Leadership is about influencing people for good. It is about accomplishing more through others than we could ever do on our own. People are what it is all about, and leadership is taking groups of people to exciting places they would not attempt on their own. Though at times I find myself totally inadequate for my job, I am thankful for the opportunity that my responsibilities give me to make an impact in the world. God gives increased ability when we need it. The empowered leader is intimately aware of his need to depend on the Lord constantly.

Regardless of how you became a leader and how far along you are on the journey, you can enjoy the expedition. God can use you to advance His purposes in your life and in the lives of those you lead. John Ruskin once said, When a man is wrapped up in himself, he makes a pretty small package. Leadership is a selfless journey that involves devoting yourself to a group of people to accomplish great things for the Lord that you could never do alone. And when leadership is carried out effectively, people make great things happen!

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THE LEADER

Who Can Fill the Shoes?

"This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the

words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’" (Acts 7:35)

OF ALL THE THINGS I ENJOY in my typical day, one of my favorites takes place when I arrive home in the evening. Not that I don’t love my job; it’s just that my children can make me feel greatly loved. The harder the day I have had at the office, the more I enjoy their ambush.

Our twins, Andrew and Cambria, are still young enough to be home when I get home, to notice when I get home, and to jump with glee at the sight of my coming through the kitchen door. We have this great ritual: I come in from the garage, drop my briefcase, and my twins take turns taking a running start across the room and zooming up into my arms. They grab me around the neck and squeeze me so tight that all the stress of the day just fades away.

After the hugfest has ended, I take off my shoes, grab the mail, and settle down with a cup of coffee. Soon I hear the kids clomping across the kitchen floor; they have managed to put their feet into my shoes. They want to be like daddy. My youngest son even tells me, Daddy, when I grow up I am going to be the director of CBI!

I wonder how much they really know about the cost of leadership. Why would anyone want to grow up and become a leader? It may look like fun on the outside, but little do they know the challenges. Being in charge seems like the ideal place to be—but is it?

WHAT IT TAKES

What does it take to make it in today’s leadership world? Though much has changed, a great deal about leadership is the same today as it has been throughout the centuries. Leaders need a compass now more than ever, and God has given us a most reliable one in His Word. The timeless truths we find in the Scriptures apply to today’s complex world. There are valuable lessons leaping out at us from every one of the heroes and villains of old. Two such men are Saul and David.

Let’s rewind our clocks of history a few thousand years to the early days of God’s established nation of Israel. Having rejected God as King, the infant nation Israel made a poor leadership decision. Insisting on having a human king like the nations around them, they chose Saul. Appointing Saul as king over Israel brought serious consequences to this young nation. We could say it was in a leadership crisis. Saul presumed he could lead Israel according to his own inclinations, in clear disobedience to God. But he was sadly mistaken!

On one occasion Saul’s disobedience involved taking the situation into his own hands, without waiting on God’s prophet, Samuel. The fear of imminent attack by his enemy displayed Saul’s lack of trust in God. God rebuked him through Samuel: ‘You acted foolishly,’ Samuel said. ‘You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command’ (1 Sam. 13:13-14).

It was now time to pick the right man to do the job effectively—a successor to Saul. Of course God does not make mistakes, and in fact He had planned to appoint Saul as Israel’s first leader. Among other things it showed the people of God what they would get for leadership when they stepped out ahead of Him. Here is a lesson for those involved today