The Conviction to Lead
The Conviction to Lead
25 Principles for Leadership that Matters
25 Principles for Leadership that Matters
By Albert Mohler
By Albert Mohler
The history and emergence of the topic of leadership contains both the good and the bad. Leadership in and of itself is not inherently good. It is the nature of the leadership, more specifically the nature of the one who leads, that is most important. This goes for leadership of any kind, including leadership in the Christian church.
"The problem is that the evangelical Christian world is increasingly divided between groups we might call the Believers and the Leaders..." (p.19). Believers are marked by deeply held convictions, but lack the action of leadership. Leaders are marked by bold and courageous action, but lack the convictions that are the "center of gravity in truth. They often ride one program after another until they run out of steam" (p.20).
"You deserve to know exactly who I am and why I am writing this book. I want to turn the Believers into Leaders and the Leaders into Believers. My goal is to knock the blocks out from under the current models of leadership and forge a new way. I stake my life on the priority of right beliefs and convictions, and at the same time I want to lead so that those very beliefs are perpetuated in others. If our leaders are not passionately driven by the right beliefs, we are headed for disaster. At the same time, if believers cannot lead, we are headed nowhere.
My goals is to redefine Christian leadership so that it is inseparable from passionately held beliefs, and to motivate those who are deeply committed to truth to be ready for leadership.
I want to see a generation arise that is simultaneously leading with conviction and driven by the conviction to lead. The generation that accomplishes this will set the world on fire" (p.20).
"When a leader walks into the room, a passion for truth had better enter with him. Authentic leadership does not emerge out of a vacuum. The leadership that matters most is convictional - deeply convictional. This quality of leadership springs from those foundational beliefs that shape who we are and establish our beliefs about everything else. Convictions are not merely beliefs we hold; they are those beliefs that hold us in their grip. We would not know who we are but for these bedrock beliefs, and without them we would not know how to lead" (p.21).
"Put simply, a conviction is a belief of which we are thoroughly convinced. I don't mean that we are merely persuaded that something is true, but rather that we are convinced this truth is essential and life-changing. We live out of this truth and are willing to die for it" (p.22).
"[T]he full strength of conviction is what sets the Christian leader apart. These convictions are the very essence of Christian leadership, and it has always been this way... We know these things to be so true that we are willing to live for them, lead for them, and, if necessary, die for them" (p.23,24).
Convictions are deeply held beliefs that a leader must be willing to fight, lead, and die for. They are the compass of leadership. They are what make a man principled - "a man of principle". A leader must have clearly defined beliefs and convictions, AND the intelligence to effectively turn those convictions into action, AND communicate convictions so they are transferred to followers who share those beliefs and join in those actions, AND then to persevere in doing so against all opposition and adversity for the full course of his life.
Convictional Intelligence
Leadership is Narrative
Leaders Understand Worldviews
The Passion to Lead
Leaders Are Thinkers
Leaders Are Teachers
Leadership Is All About Character
Leadership and Credibility
Leaders Are Communicators
Leaders Are Readers
The Leader and Power
Leaders Are Managers
Leaders Are Speakers
Leadership as Stewardship
The Leader as Decision Maker
The Moral Virtues of Leadership
The Leader and the Media
The Leader as Writer
The Digital Leader
The Leader and Time
Leadership That Endures
The Leader and Death
The Leader's Legacy